Arsenal now accept ‘final proposal’ for £7m flop after ‘unreasonable’ transfer discussions

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Arsenal are finally making some headway in the transfer window in terms of exits as one player is now set to leave.

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar took a gamble when they signed a very raw young defender in Nuno Tavares from Benfica for around £7m in 2021, and whilst he did show glimpses of talent, he did it in the most chaotic way possible.

28 appearances in his first season was enough to determine that he was not yet ready for Arsenal, and he was loaned out to Marseille, and then to Nottingham Forest last season.

He had mixed spells at both, but Tavares still attracted interest from Ajax and Lazio this summer, and he is now closing in on a move to Serie A.

Arsenal agree deal to sell Nuno Tavares to Lazio

Football Italia recently reported that Arsenal were in discussions with Lazio over a deal for Tavares, but the Serie A club felt that Edu was being unreasonable in his valuation of the defender.

This impasse could have seen a deal break down, but Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that a loan move with an obligation to buy has been agreed.

“Arsenal have accepted Lazio final proposal to sign Nuno Tavares on loan with obligation to buy, fee around €7/8m (£5.9m/6.7m). Arsenal will also have sell-on clause. Negotiations are ongoing with Tavares agents on personal terms,” he posted on X.

Arsenal will take short-term loss on Nuno Tavares

Arsenal will not receive a fee for Tavares until next season given the structure of his loan deal, but they will recoup most of the money they paid for him.

A sell-on clause means that if Tavares does well and earns another move elsewhere, Arsenal could be set for a future profit on the left-back.

It is clear that Tavares has no future at Arsenal, with Riccardo Calafiori set to join an already well-covered position at left-back, and whilst his raw speed and strength initially meant he had potential, his chaotic performances and lack of defensive nous meant he was simply levels below what Arteta requires in the position.

This is the start of what could be a busy summer for Arsenal in terms of exits, as Kieran Tierney is also set to depart, with potentially one of Jakub Kiwior or Oleksandr Zinchenko following both left-backs out.