rewrite this title Time’s up: Arsenal must sell £45k-p/w star who’s “hit incredible form”

It would be fair to say that it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride for Mikel Arteta since taking the Arsenal job in December 2019.

However, with three Premier League title races in the last three years and a second Champions League quarter-final to look forward to in as many seasons, the Spaniard has gotten more things right than he has wrong.

A good example of this would be the club’s transfers under his tenure, as Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya have dramatically improved the starting lineup.

However, the former captain has also signed his fair share of flops, including one who’s playing well enough out on loan that the club may be able to shift him in the summer for less of a loss.

How Arsenal’s players are faring out on loan

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at other players who have found their feet out on loan this season, such as Nuno Tavares.

The Portuguese star joined Lazio on a season-long deal, which includes a clause that will see his move made permanent for around £7.6m, should certain conditions be met, and while he struggled on loan with Nottingham Forest last term, he’s been exceptional this year.

In all, the “unstoppable” full-back, as dubbed by Italian football expert James Horncastle, has made 26 appearances for the Roman side, in which he’s provided nine assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 2.88 games.

Another Arteta signing who failed to make it in the Gunners’ first team but is enjoying a great campaign out on loan is Albert Sambi Lokonga.

The Belgian midfielder joined La Liga giants Sevilla on a season-long loan with a £10m option to buy in the summer, and despite dealing with hamstring injuries, has made 18 appearances so far, of which 13 have been starts.

The 25-year-old has been impressive enough that Atlético Madrid are now reportedly interested in signing him on a permanent deal in the summer and could be set to battle Sevilla for his signature.

However, the Verviers-born star isn’t the only midfielder out on loan who Arsenal could sell at the end of the season.

The Arsenal loanee that Berta has to sell

While a few other players are out on loan this season, such as Reiss Nelson, Karl Hein and Marquinhos, none of them have played well enough to potentially boost their valuations.

On the other hand, Fabio Vieira has started doing just that.

The Portuguese midfielder made a surprise £34m move to Arsenal in the summer of 2022, and while there was a fair amount of excitement about what he might be able to bring to Arteta’s side, it would be fair to describe his time in the capital as a bit of a failure.

For example, while the Santa Maria da Feira-born dynamo was able to produce 23 goal involvements in just 39 games in the 21/22 campaign, he amassed a lacklustre tally of three goals and nine assists in 49 appearances across his two full seasons in North London.

So, with it becoming increasingly clear that the £45k-per-week flop was not going to make much of a difference heading into this season, he was sent back to Porto on loan in a bid to get him back on track.

While he endured a slow start back at his former club, he’s since started to look like his old self.

In his last four league games, the 24-year-old has scored three goals and provided one assist, lending credence to Arsenal content creator Harvey Diamonds’ claim that “he’s hit some incredible form as of late.”

However, while some may be tempted to bring him back to the Emirates in the summer and give him another shot next season, it might be far smarter for Arteta and Co to try and recoup as much money as they can for him while he’s playing well.

After all, he did very little in two years to suggest he has what it takes to make it in English football, and he is still just as slight as ever, which was one of the biggest issues with playing him before.

Ultimately, while Vieira is an undeniably talented footballer, Arsenal would be far better off cashing in on his recent rejuvenation this summer and reinvesting the money into more of a sure thing instead.