A number of players have left Arsenal under Mikel Arteta over the years.
The Arsenal manager has overseen several transfers, and those decisions have helped transform the club. He deserves a lot of praise for that.
Most of Arteta’s decisions have been proven right, but some players who have left Arsenal have gone on to do some good things elsewhere.
One such player is now earning a ton of praise for his performances – and he hasn’t even left Arsenal on a permanent deal yet.
Arsenal loanee Nuno Tavares gets Mesut Ozil’s nickname after his performances for Lazio
Nuno Tavares joined Arsenal from Benfica in the summer of 2021.
The Portuguese defender was brought in to provide cover for Kieran Tierney that season, and Tavares actually started well.
However, for one reason or another, he lost confidence at the turn of the year, and those were his final few months in Arsenal’s first team.
Tavares spent the following season on loan at Marseille and then spent a difficult year at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
In the 2024 summer window, Arsenal sent Tavares to Lazio on loan with an obligation to buy, and the defender has been incredible there.
Tavares is flying in the Serie A and has picked up five assists in as many games this season, which is a truly stunning feat for a defender.
Hailing his performances, Portuguese media outlet Record has hailed Tavares as the ‘King of assists’.
Arsenal fans will remember that Mesut Ozil was also nicknamed the ‘King of the assist‘ during his time at the Emirates Stadium many years ago.
READ MORE: What Mikel Arteta said about Mesut Ozil for the first time since ‘failing’ him at Arsenal
Arsenal may regret one decision regarding Tavares
It was clear in the summer that Tavares had no future at Arsenal.
The Gunners were right to try and push him out of the door, and after a lot of speculation, Edu managed to strike a deal with Lazio.
Arsenal agreed to a season-long loan deal for Tavares that obligates Lazio to sign him permanently for €7million-€8 million (£5.9m-£6.7m).
It seemed like a good idea to make Lazio agree to an obligation clause, but after seeing Tavares’ brilliant start to the season, it’s hard not to feel that he will be worth a lot more than €8 million (£6.7m) in 2025.
We won’t be surprised at all to see Lazio sign him for the above fee and immediately sell him for a profit next year.
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