Youri Tielemans to Arsenal: Does Fabio Vieira transfer end hopes of Leicester star?
Robin Bairner
- 19 Jun 2022 04:00 BST
- 3 min read
Arsenal have long made Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans one of their key summer transfer priorities, but does the imminent arrival of Fabio Vieira from Porto change that?
Vieira’s signing for the Emirates side has come rather out of the blue. Arsenal are set to pay €40 million for the Portugal international midfielder, who struggled to hold down a regular place in the Porto side last season but did produce a prodigious number of goals and assists when selected.
Manager Mikel Arteta has long wanted to strengthen the heart of his side, but will Vieira be the only midfielder arrival this summer at the expense of Belgium international Tielemans?
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Vieira and Tielemans are compatible
The good news for Arsenal fans is that Vieira’s arrival does not necessarily step on the toes of a deal for Tielemans as the two players perform substantially different roles.
Vieira typically operates off the right of the midfield and makes the team narrow by coming inside. He is versatile enough to be used as an attacking midfielder across the pitch, making him a useful addition to any squad. Indeed, he is seen as a stereotypical Arsenal player, providing a high technical level and a strong attacking output.
This differs from Tielemans, who tends to lie deeper on the field and operated largely on the left in a defensive midfield role last term. His defensive output was far higher than that of the Portuguese, recording more than three times as many tackles per game and nearly that many more interceptions.
If the Vieira deal does not exclude a further transfer for Tielemans, it does beg the question, however, as to how high up on the list of priorities he is.
Vieira and Tielemans comparison
| Stats per 90 | Fabio Vieira | Youri Tielemans |
|---|---|---|
| Mins | 59 | 87 |
| Goals | 0.3 | 0.13 |
| Assists | 0.43 | 0.12 |
| Passing accuracy | 81% | 85% |
| Recoveries | 1.19 | 3.7 |
| Tackles | 1.36 | 4.3 |
| Interceptions | 1.32 | 3.7 |
| Free balls won | 3.6 | 5.8 |
| Challenges won | 45% | 49% |
| Aerial challenges | 31% | 58% |
Arsenal have already made successful transfers for Matt Turner and Marquinhos, Vieira should be done imminently while they appear well on course to sign Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City to bolster their attack.
A defender may also follow – Lisandro Martinez is heavily linked – so if Tielemans was to follow, too, it would mark an incredible transfer window from the Emirates side.
Read more about: Liga Portugal Bwin, Premier League, Arsenal, Leicester, Fábio Vieira, Youri Tielemans
