Hamburg poised to complete Fábio Vieira and Zakaria El Ouahdi double swoop
· Yahoo Sports
Hamburg appear poised to complete an ambitious late-window double move for Arsenal attacking midfielder Fábio Vieira and KRC Genk right-back Zakaria El Ouahdi. According to the Hamburger Abendblatt, both players are now expected in Hamburg for medical examinations after significant breakthroughs in negotiations. Vieira has already arrived in the Hanseatic city, while El Ouahdi is expected to follow on Sunday.
Should both deals reach completion, sporting director Claus Costa and the HSV front office will have addressed two of the most significant outstanding squad needs ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline.Get German Football Newshighlighted both the unresolved right wing-back position and the difficulty of replacing Vieira in our 2026/27 Hamburger SV tactical preview.
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Saturday’s 2-0 opening-day defeat away at Borussia Dortmund offered another reminder that further reinforcement remained desirable. In the final hours before the transfer window closes on Tuesday, Costa, head coach Merlin Polzin, and Board Member for Sport Kathleen Krüger have repeatedly emphasized that they’re not yet done in their efforts to strengthen the squad.
Vieira finally set for Hamburg return
Vieira’s return would bring an end to one of the Bundesliga summer’s more protracted transfer sagas. The 26-year-old spent last season on loan at the Volksparkstadion and established himself as Merlin Polzin’s most influential attacking player, registering seven goals and six assists across 31 competitive appearances. Hamburg consequently made retaining the Portuguese midfielder one of their priorities following his return to Arsenal.
GGFNreported earlier this month that HSV and Arsenal were preparing for a fresh round of Vieira negotiations, with the player already understood to have agreed personal terms and favoured a return to northern Germany.
The principal obstacle remained the transfer fee. Arsenal had previously demanded a figure approaching €18m, while HSV wished to keep their investment below €10m. That gap now appears to have been bridged.
According to the Hamburger Abendblatt, HSV and Arsenal have reached a basic agreement over a permanent transfer. Sport Bild reports that the eventual fee will be approximately €9m, with Vieira expected to sign a four-year contract after completing his medical.
The deal would represent something of a coup for HSV given how heavily Vieira influenced their successful first season back in the Bundesliga.
Genk give green light for El Ouahdi move
Hamburg have also apparently made the decisive breakthrough in their pursuit of El Ouahdi. The Moroccan international has long stood as the club’s preferred solution on the right flank. GGFNreported on Saturday that HSV were intensifying their pursuit of the Genk defender, with the player already in agreement over personal terms and Hamburg preparing another offer after two previous approaches failed.
The Hamburger Abendblatt now reports that Genk have given their approval for the transfer. El Ouahdi is expected to travel to Hamburg for his medical before signing a five-year contract. The precise transfer fee has not yet been established, although Kicker previously reported that a package of approximately €13m plus bonuses was under discussion.
The 24-year-old would fill one of the clearest holes in Polzin’s squad. William Mikelbrencis has departed for Darmstadt, while Giorgi Gocholeishvili returned from his loan and subsequently joined Cádiz. That left veteran Bakery Jatta as the only established option for the right wing-back role.
El Ouahdi would arrive as a considerably more attack-minded long-term solution. The Moroccan registered eight goals and five assists in 34 league appearances for Genk last season, while adding another four goals in nine Europa League outings.
HSV seemingly avoid Vieira-El Ouahdi choice
The financial question surrounding both pursuits had recently threatened to force HSV into a decision. Kicker noted that signing El Ouahdi and Vieira together would require an investment north of €20m. Bayer Leverkusen full-back Arthur consequently remained available as a cheaper loan alternative should Hamburg deem the El Ouahdi package excessive.
That contingency plan may no longer be necessary. If the two medicals proceed without complication, HSV now appear positioned to secure both their preferred creative reinforcement and their preferred right-sided defensive addition.
Such an outcome would represent a substantial late-window investment from a club whose squad still looked visibly unfinished only days before the start of the Bundesliga campaign.