Nuno Tavares (23-Arsenal) is preparing for a move to Nottingham.
“Nottingham Forest have made a formal offer to Arsenal for Tavares,” wrote European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano on Saturday. Nottingham have identified Tavares as their top target and are working to secure his signature.”
Tavares is a left-back from Portugal who is a very aggressive defender. He is often used as a wing-back in a back three, rather than a three-back, as his strengths lie in his attacking abilities over his defense. His powerful left-footed kick allows him to make aggressive runs down the flanks, and he occasionally tries to score with a threatening shot.
Tavares moved to Arsenal in the 2021-22 season after developing at Benfica. The Gunners acquired Tavares for £70 million. They expected him to play a backup role as first-choice Kieran Tierney was often sidelined with injuries.
Tavares also took advantage of Tierney’s injury. He made 22 appearances in the league, including 13 starts and nine substitute appearances. But his uncharacteristically rushed play was a problem. Tavares was prone to dropped passes and turnovers, exposing his shakiness on defense. His defensive shortcomings were evident and contributed to the loss.
Deciding that Tavares wasn’t going to get them through the season safely, Arsenal eventually brought in Oleksandr Zinchenko before the start of last season. Naturally, Tavares’ place in the side diminished and he was sent out on loan to Olympique Marseille (France).
At Marseille, Tavares rediscovered his best form, playing as a wing-back in the back three instead of the back four. Tavares was a mainstay for Marseille and scored six goals in 31 league appearances.
Tavares returned to Arsenal after a successful 2022-23 season, but his role was further diminished. Arsenal brought in 안전놀이터 Julian Timber, who can play on both the left and right flanks. Timber started both the Community Shield against Manchester City and the opening game of the 2022-23 English Premier League (EPL) season against Brentford.
Although he suffered a long-term cruciate ligament injury against Brentford, the starting lineup showed that Tavares’ chances at Arsenal were not going to be easy. Arsenal are also in need of selling surplus resources, so the deal with Brentford is likely to go through without a hitch.