ARSENAL have struck gold and unearthed the next Bernardo Silva thanks to the arrival of Fabio Vieira, claims Emile Smith Rowe.
The Hale End graduate, 21, was full of praise for new signing Vieira, who completed a £34million transfer from Porto to Arsenal in June.
Smith Rowe with Arsenal on tour
Vieira arrives with high praise from Porto
Even though the pair will likely be competing for the same spot in the squad, Smith Rowe said: “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.
“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.”
Vieira, 22, worked his way into the Porto first team as the season progressed, and eventually finished the season with seven goals and 16 assists in all competitions.
Smith Rowe also enjoyed a productive season but saw his form dip away during the second half of the campaign, managing just two of his 10 goals in the Premier League in 2022.
Along with Vieira, The Gunners have also completed the signing of Man City forward Gabriel Jesus for £45m, as well as goalie Matt Turner and Brazilian youngster Marquinhos.
The club have now turned their attention to Oleksandr Zinchenko in a deal which could reach £32m.
However, fresh reports indicate the Ukraine international could yet reject a move to The Gunners and instead opt to stay and fight for his spot at Man City.
The club remain keen on transfers for Youri Tielemans and Lucas Paqueta but there is work to do if either of these deals are to be completed.
