Premier League rival now actively preventing Arsenal from gaining late January windfall

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Arsenal could have eased their financial fair play issues with a sale in this January window, and there was a lot of interest in one unwanted player.

Nuno Tavares joined Nottingham Forest on loan in the summer, but hardly featured under Steve Cooper, and the £12m option to buy in his deal looks unlikely to be used at the end of the season.

Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille were recently interested in a January swoop for the left-back, and this could have solved a lot of problems. The player could have returned to the club where he spent last season on loan and Arsenal could have received an unexpected fee for him.

However, it has now emerged that Nottingham Forest, who are set to host Arsenal tonight in the Premier League, have refused to let Tavares return from his loan, which is blocking any potential January sale.

Nottingham Forest block Nuno Tavares Arsenal sale

In his Daily Briefing, Fabrizio Romano revealed that several other clubs alongside Marseille were interested in Tavares, and Arsenal were open to selling him, but Nuno Espirito Santo has blocked an early Forest exit for him.

“Marseille wanted Nuno Tavares, some Italian clubs too, but Nottingham Forest are not giving the green light to end his loan,” he explained.

“They want to keep him, especially the manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Arsenal would be open to selling Tavares immediately but again, there is currently no green light from Forest.”

Frustration for Arsenal over Nuno Tavares

Given the value of his option to buy, as well as the interest in him, Arsenal could have been looking at a potential sale around the £10m mark, which would have resembled a profit on his original fee.

This could have even opened space for a new fullback to arrive in the final days of the window, with FFP currently preventing Mikel Arteta from strengthening his squad.

If Tavares does not feature more for Forest, then a permanent stay at the City Ground would be out of the question, and his value would plummet if he spends the rest of the season on the bench.

A rare opportunity to make a surprisingly good sale could have opened up for Arsenal, but Espirito Santo and Forest have caused frustration over Tavares, and the hope now is that he ends up playing more under the former Wolves boss to increase his potential sale value for the summer.