Nottingham Forest 'submit' £24m transfer offer for Arsenal star

Vieira, 26, spent last season on loan with Bundesliga side Hamburg SV and helped them record a 13th-placed finish - their highest since 2016. The former Portugal Under-21s international scored seven goals and assisted a further six in 31 games.

Hamburg are claimed to be keen on bringing the attacker back to the Volksparkstadion on a permanent basis. They initially decided that the €22million (£18.7m) purchase option was too expensive, but are now considering their options to agree a deal with Arsenal.

However, German journalist Dominik Schneider has reported that Forest have swooped in with an offer worth €28m (£23.8m). Interest from the Premier League is said to have 'shocked' Hamburg, whose chances of re-signing Vieira are now understood to be falling.

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Earlier this summer, reports in Germany suggested that Arsenal would only demand around €10m-€15m (£8.5m-£12.8m). Vieira has just one year left on his deal at the Emirates Stadium after signing for around £30m in 2022.

He has played just 49 games for the Gunners, starting just 17 games.

Vieira played in the centre of midfield for Hamburg last season and was often used on the right wing. He can also play further forward in the No.10 role, although he appeared to work best slightly deeper in Germany.

During his loan spell with FC Porto in the 2024/25 campaign, he scored five goals and assisted six with the majority of his time spent as a right winger.

Midfield is obviously a position in Vitor Pereira's squad that Forest are looking to strengthen amid intense speculation linking Elliot Anderson with a move to Manchester City and Manchester United.

Earlier this week, City's second offer worth around £120m was rejected by Forest. The bid was reportedly made up of an initial £106m plus add-ons, a figure that eclipses the £105m Arsenal paid West Ham for Declan Rice three years ago.