Nottingham Forest are in negotiations to sign Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares on a permanent deal.
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who has revealed that Forest have submitted a formal proposal, with talks ongoing with the player’s representatives.
Tavares, 23, spent last season on loan at Olympique Marseille, scoring six times in 39 appearances in what was overall a moderately successful move.
He is not in Mikel Arteta’s plans despite a potentially long-term injury to Jurrien Timber, and could follow Matt Turner in trading North London for Nottingham this summer.
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Tavares joined Arsenal in 2021 from Benfica, and made 28 appearances in his one season in the first-team, scoring once, in a victory over Manchester United, and assisting twice.
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Investment pays off
Although Tavares was mostly disappointing on the pitch for Arsenal, with a particularly poor performance coming in the FA Cup away at Forest where he was substituted in the first half, this is arguably a deal that has been worth the initial investment of around £8m.
Tavares gained value in his loan spell at Marseille, where he played in the Champions League, and whilst the fee for his proposed move to Forest has not been revealed yet, it seems likely that Arsenal will make an overall profit on the left-back.
Initially arriving as a young prospect who would be a backup for Kieran Tierney, Tavares did have a bright start when stepping in, and was described as “brilliant” by Garth Crooks after an excellent assist to Bukayo Saka against Newcastle.
However, his lack of defensive awareness, and his overall chaotic style of play, meant he was not suitable to play in Mikel Arteta’s side, particularly with Oleksandr Zinchenko arriving as an inverted option, and now is the perfect time to sell.
What was a low-risk investment and a gamble on a young talent, has now become a profitable sale, and Arsenal should therefore not be discouraged to make signings like Tavares on paper: young, inexperienced, but with the potential to earn a move to a Premier League side in the future.