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VfB Stuttgart are plotting an ambitious move for Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira, according to David Ornstein.
The Portugal international is facing an uncertain future at the Etihad, having spent the previous season on loan at boyhood club Porto after failing to establish himself as a regular starter.
Mikel Arteta remains a fan of the midfielder, but there is an acceptance that game time will be hard to come by next term, so the market is being explored for potential opportunities.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Bundesliga side Stuttgart have now opened talks with Arsenal to discuss a permanent deal for the 25-year-old.
The transfer insider reports that no agreement has as yet been reached between the two clubs, but negotiations are in full swing. Whether a deal can be struck remains to be seen, with Ornstein reporting that Arsenal will seek a ‘respectable price’ for their €40 million investment.
Stuttgart open Vieira talks
Stuttgart are targeting Vieira as a replacement for star midfielder Enzo Millot, who is now Jeddah-bound after Al-Ahli managed to hijack his move to Atletico Madrid.
In recent days, reports increasingly suggested that a transfer to the Spanish capital was on the brink of collapse, and this was ultimately confirmed when Al-Ahli successfully swooped in.
Millot, a four-time France international, is set to link up with the reigning champions of Asia in a €28m deal that had to be formally negotiated with Stuttgart. The 23-year-old had a complex release clause in his deal, but it was no longer active for Saudi clubs.
Millot’s departure has been inevitable for months. If Stuttgart can reinvest the €28m into a deal for Vieira, it will be seen as a shrewd piece of business, and it will soften the sting of losing a standout performer to the Saudi Pro League.
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