Arsenal attacker Emile Smith Rowe has affirmed that Gunners fans have every right to be excited about the signing of "unbelievable" playmaker Fabio Vieira.
The 22-year-old was initially tipped to head for either Liverpool or Manchester United before Mikel Arteta's side rapidly wrapped up a deal with Porto.
Vieira has arrived at the Emirates Stadium on a five-year deal for a reported fee of £34.2m after scoring six goals and setting up 14 more in 27 Primeira Liga appearances for Porto last season.
Vieira has also racked up 13 goals and four assists from 21 appearances for Portugal's Under-21s and faced off against Smith Rowe in last year's Under-21 Euros, with Portugal winning 2-0 in the group stage.
The former Porto man has earned early comparisons with Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, and Smith Rowe can also see the similarities between the pair after welcoming his counterpart to the Emirates.
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"He's very similar [to Silva]. He's a very good passer of the ball, his left foot is very good and he likes to create goals and score them himself," Smith Rowe told the Evening Standard.
"I've already played against him at international level, so I can't speak highly enough of him, and the fans should be really excited. At the Euro Under-21s, they [Portugal] beat us 2-0 and he was unbelievable in that game."
The Portugal Under-21 international is yet to make his debut for the club, though, with a foot injury preventing him from turning out against Nuremberg or Everton.
However, in a separate interview with The Athletic, the 22-year-old affirmed that the issue is only a minor one and he expects to be training with the squad within the next couple of days.
"It's a small injury I got with the national team one month ago. Now I feel really good," Vieira explained. "I'm not training 100% yet, but I'm running. Day after day, I'm improving. And in a few days, I'll be back in full training with my team-mates."
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During his time at Porto, Vieira demonstrated his versatility in a wide number of positions, featuring in the heart of the midfield, out wide, as a second striker or as a number 10 under Sergio Conceicao.
The Portuguese starlet has affirmed that he is willing to play anywhere for the Gunners, but he is hoping to battle Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard for the number 10 spot over the next year.
"The manager told me he knows I can play as a midfielder — No 8, No 10 — or on the wing, left side or right side. They know I am a versatile player. I prefer No 10. It's my real position," Vieira added.
Vieira will push to make his Arsenal debut in Wednesday's friendly with Orlando City after missing the weekend's 2-0 win over Everton alongside Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Kieran Tierney and Smith Rowe.
The Gunners will then meet Chelsea in the Florida Cup before returning to London to face Sevilla in the Emirates Cup on July 30.
Ben Knapton
