Move To Europe
Like many other South American footballers, Vivas made his move to Europe, joining AC Lugano of Swiss League on loan. However, he only made 10 appearances until the big break came; Arsenal signed him from Boca Juniors for £1,600,000 in August 1998, and rarely played for the Gunners.
Vivas was mainly used as backup for established full-backs Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn while at Arsenal; he started 18 games and came on as a substitute for a further 18 during his first season for the Gunners, as he struggled to break into the first team. He scored his first and only goal for Arsenal against Derby County in the League Cup. He had a setback when he missed a penalty in a shootout as Arsenal crashed out of the 1999/2000 League Cup to Middlesbrough.
Vivas was loaned out to the La Liga outfit Celta Vigo halfway through the 1999-00 season and barely figured over the next two seasons, appearing mainly as a substitute (particularly as Arsenal had signed Oleg Luzhny and Sylvinho in the summer of 1999). Unable to establish himself as a permanent member of the team, Vivas left Arsenal when his contract expired at the end of the 2000-01 season, and joined Serie A team Internazionale of Milan. He played 69 games for Arsenal (40 as substitute), scoring one goal. At Inter, Vivas found it hard to break into the first-team and, after two seasons with the Nerazzurri, he left European football to return to his native Argentina.
Read more about this topic: Nelson Vivas
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