Arsenal's next departure after Leandro Trossard is already painfully obvious

Fábio Vieira must be the next player to leave Arsenal following Leandro Trossard's move to Beşiktaş.

The former Portugal youth international has been an absent figure in the Gunners squad in recent years, spending two seasons away from North London on loan, and a permanent departure is expected this summer.

There are a number of players who are likely to bid farewell to the Emirates Stadium this summer, but Vieira has to be the next one.

Fábio Vieira must be Arsenal's next departure

While Mikel Arteta is focused on bolstering the side that secured the Premier League title last season, there is also plenty of pressure on Andrea Berta to sanction sales and bring money into the club through departures, something Arsenal have famously struggled to do in their history.

The Gunners have five players with contracts expiring in 2027 and Vieira is one of them with his potential exit arguably being the most important to recoup some of the hefty fee that was splashed on him back in 2022.

He arrived from Porto in a move that shocked many with its relative silence and was tipped to be one of the Portugal's hottest prospects, and as a result a great steal for Arteta's side. However, he has failed to live up to that hype completely.

His impact in his debut season was limited and that was a trend that continued into the 2023/24 campaign. To date, he has made just 49 appearances for the North Londoners, scoring three goals and providing 10 assists.

Vieira's poor return saw him loaned back to boyhood club Porto for the 2024/25 season, where he played almost the same amount of games he has for Arsenal, appearing 42 times throughout the year.

He then joined Hamburg on another season-long loan last summer, helping the club remain in the Bundesliga after achieving a return the previous campaign. His discipline appeared to be an issue though as he picked up two red cards in his first five league appearances.

The former European Cup winners did make an attempt to sign him permanently earlier in the summer, but rumours on that front have gone quiet so it would be safe to assume they are no longer targeting Vieira.

The Gunners simply have to make sure they sell Vieira this summer. Having spent just under £30million for him four years ago, his return has failed to justify that price tag and the club have to ensure they recoup at least some of that fee and avoid losing him on a free in a year's time.

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This article was originally published on paininthearsenal.com as Arsenal's next departure after Leandro Trossard is already painfully obvious.