In recent weeks, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has not been afraid of making an early sub. Just ask Eberechi Eze.
The gaffer revealed that Eze was upset having been withdrawn at half-time in the 1-1 draw with Brentford. Understandably so.
However, the big-money summer signing responded in emphatic fashion, scoring twice in that enthralling win over Spurs just nine days ago.
The Englishman has not been the only victim of an early sub. Before picking up another injury, Martin Odegaard had been withdrawn before the hour mark in consecutive matches against Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.
The latest victim of that curse is Leandro Trossard. The Belgian has simply not been at the races in recent weeks.
Arsenal’s problem on the left flank
One game, Arteta will start Trossard. The next game, he’ll start Gabriel Martinelli. The end result is often the same one; a lack of end product and a frustrating performance.
That said, this campaign has not been a total write-off for both the Belgian and Martinelli. The former started the campaign like a house on fire, scoring eight times and registering six assists in his first 22 matches of 2025/26.
The latter, meanwhile, is currently on course for his best season since 2022/23, netting 11 goals. However, in 2026, they have really struggled, particularly in the league.
Trossard has not scored a single goal in 14 matches this calendar year, while his Brazilian colleague has not found the net in nine Premier League games. He has, at least, bagged five goals in the cup competitions, but they all came against inferior opposition in the form of Portsmouth, Kairat Almaty and Wigan Athletic.
Arsenal may well have spent a shedload on improving the squad last summer, but there is still one glaring weakness at the Emirates Stadium and that’s on the left flank. It’s not a new issue either. They had warning signs last term when the duo scored ten goals each. Considering Trossard played 56 matches and Martinelli 51, it was not good enough.
So, irrespective of what happens between now and the end of the season, the Gunners must source an upgrade on the left flank heading into the summer.
Cashing in on Martinelli and/or Trossard could help fund any new signings, but who else looks like they’re in danger of departing in a few months?
£34m signing looks finished at Arsenal
Arteta does not need to gut his squad. It’s been celebrated as the best in Europe for a reason. However, several players are paying the price for increased places in the team.
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are chief among that but from a more senior standpoint, the future looks bleak for the likes of Ben White and Gabriel Jesus. Once an important part of this Arsenal team, it would not be a surprise to see them move on once the transfer window opens.
There are also those out on loan. Jakub Kiwior is set to sign for Porto permanently in a £13m deal that was negotatied when he initially headed to Portugal. Speaking of Portugal, Fabio Vieira should also be moved on permanently.
For Vieira, it’s been a rather strange period at Arsenal. Signed for £34m in 2022, Arteta revealed he was “very excited” to have signed the young Portuguese attacking midfielder.
Signed from the top-flight of Portugal, some suggested he could be their own Bruno Fernandes, having delivered six goals and 16 assists in his final campaign at the club.
Yet, it has never quite worked out for him in north London. Whether or not he was given a fair chance to prove what he can do is up for debate but what isn’t up for debate is just how poor a signing this has been. Arteta’s worst? He’s certainly up there given the price tag.
While Vieira did score that lovely goal against Brentford during his debut year with the Gunners, he started just three league games that term, barely kicking a ball.
That has rather been the story of his time in English football. In 2023/24, he saw just 301 minutes of Premier League action, starting twice. As a result, it was hardly a surprise to see the attacking midfielder shift out on loan last term.
That said, as the Portuguese rejoined Porto, he hardly enjoyed a prolific season back at his boyhood club. Indeed, the 25-year-old found the net on just five occasions while supplying six assists across 42 appearances.
|
Fabio Vieira since signing for Arsenal |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals & assists |
|
2022/23 |
33 |
8 |
|
2023/24 |
17 |
5 |
|
2024/25 (Porto) |
40 |
11 |
|
2025/26 (Hamburg) |
20 |
8 |
As a result, it was a case of another loan spell for Vieira in 2025/26. This season he has been on loan at Hamburg in the Bundesliga, and to his credit, he has generated a more hype.
It’s been far from a barnstorming campaign for the Arsenal loanee but he has been involved in eight goals across 18 league matches, scoring four and assisting four. He’s been in particularly good form of late, scoring in back-to-back games against Mainz and RB Leipzig. In fact, the creative midfielder has actually scored three in his last four, notably beating the goalkeeper against Bayern Munich a few weeks ago.
Subsequently hailed as “one of the signings of the Bundesliga season” by reporter Josh Bunting, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the German side activated their option to buy the player, which stands at around £17.5m.
That’s not a mind-boggling sum of money for Arsenal but it could be important cash as far as Andrea Berta is concerned. As Arsenal look to strengthen their squad even further, Vieira should be no part of it. He’s even more expendable than Trossard, Martinelli, White and Co.
Not to mention his average performances in recent years but he would also have to compete with the likes of Nwaneri and Max Dowman for minutes. Both of them should be prioritised.
Unfortunately for the £34m investment, he looks like he’s already played his final game for Arsenal. Any hopes of getting back into the side have been extinguished following spells at Porto and Hamburg.
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