Mikel Arteta’s 2021 decision to sign one player who never made the grade at Arsenal has now been defended.
In general, Mikel Arteta has been very successful in the transfer market as Arsenal manager.
However, even the best managers make mistakes when it comes to recruitment. For instance, Willian was something of a disaster in his one season at the Emirates Stadium, and goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson was another who never looked close to being at the level required.
The Spanish coach has succeeded in building a young, talented squad though, who have proven themselves capable of competing for the biggest prizes in the game. Risks were taken to assemble this team though.
Many of the gambles paid off, as Arsenal invested heavily in the likes of Ben White, Martin Odegaard, and Aaron Ramsdale, who all arrived at the Emirates Stadium with question marks hanging over them.
Not all of these risks have had successful pay-offs, though. In the summer of 2021, Arsenal signed Nuno Tavares from Benfica.
The left-back was given plenty of opportunities to impress for the Gunners early on, as he racked up 28 appearances, across all competitions, in his first season in North London. However, he produced a number of indifferent performances, fell down the pecking order, and has been banished on loan spells with Marseille and Nottingham Forest ever since.
Why Arsenal were wise to sign Nuno Tavares
Arsenal paid £7 million to sign Tavares, so he hardly represents a seismic investment. However, the Gunners are almost certain to take something of a loss on the 24-year-old.
Lazio have shown an interest in signing Tavares this summer. Arteta will be hoping that the Italian club come forward with a formal offer before long.
Tavares has stated his desire to return to Arsenal and prove his worth to North London club, but it is clear that he isn’t in the manager’s plans.
Despite these circumstances, journalist Charles Watts has defended the club’s decision to sign the Portuguese full-back in the first place.
Speaking on his Inside Arsenal YouTube channel, the reporter said: “He’s available for transfer, Arsenal are more than willing to let Tavares go… I actually think Nuno Tavares would be a good signing for someone. He’s really raw, obviously, he definitely needs a lot of work.
“I don’t think it was a bad signing by Arsenal for the money they paid, £7 million. He was definitely worth it, worth a punt because of the attributes he had, but he just couldn’t quite make it at the level needed.”
What Arsenal got right with Tavares deal
Watts makes a good point, in that when you take risks in the transfer market – which the current Arsenal team proves is worth doing – then they won’t always pay off.
However, the crucial thing is to only make gambles in the market that you can afford to lose. Arsenal did not overcommit financially when it came to signing Tavares, meaning that they can absorb this loss relatively comfortably.
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