Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira has completed his season-long loan move to his former club FC Porto for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign. The Portuguese midfielder has struggled to find regular minutes under Mikel Arteta and would have gone further down the pecking order following the arrival of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad.
He has now rejoined his former club just two years after leaving for Arsenal in the summer of 2022 in a £34 million deal. The loan does not include an obligation to buy clause which means Vieira will make his return at the end of the ongoing campaign. But they have managed to include a secret clause in the player’s agreement.
What clause has Arsenal included in Fabio Vieira’s loan agreement?
The Gunners have sanctioned the departure of Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira on a season-long loan to Porto after seeing his spell at Arsenal blighted by injuries, making just five Premier League starts over the past two seasons.
He made only three substitute appearances between January and May and his playing time would have been further reduced as Arsenal strengthened their midfield department.
Vieira will now have the chance to rekindle his career in familiar surroundings. Arsenal have reportedly added a ‘secret clause’ which would allow them compensation if Porto fail to play Vieira in at least 50% of their matches.
The Gunners will also receive a €500,000 bonus if Porto manages to win the Primeira Liga this season. The Portuguese giants will also bear the playmaker’s €1.5 million net salary for the duration of the loan.
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