It could be a big summer to spend ahead for Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta potentially backed by a sum of £ 250 million to revive his squad.
The Gunners have fallen far below the standards expected of them in recent years, and are entering the 2021/22 season without European football to look forward to – the result of a desperately poor Premier League campaign last time.
Many parts of the team require reinforcement, but especially one area that Arsenal lacks quality is in the left back. Kieran Tierney is committed to the club until 2026 after signing a new five-year deal, but there are not many other natural options for Arteta should something happen to the shots.
Cedric Soares, Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka were all filled at some point in 2020/21, but Benfica’s Nuno Tavares may be the long-term answer after Arsenal began talks about a potential move to the Emirates Stadium.
Do not know much about the 21-year-old? This is entirely possible given that he is not yet a household name, but there is some exciting nuggets of information to know about Tavares. Here are 90 min best pieces for you to read about.
Tavares in action for Benfica under 19-year-olds against Ajax / Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Tavares made his professional debut in 2018 for Benfica’s B-side, but he is not actually a direct graduate from their academy.
Instead, he spent three years learning his trade from rivals Sporting CP – sandwiched between the spells at Casa Pia, a second division club also based in the Portuguese capital Lisbon.
Benfica made its move in 2015, and it took another three years before Tavares took the step up to senior football.
Unusually long for back, Tavares offers great versatility / Carlos Rodrigues / Getty Images
Tavares is, of course, a left-back, but like most modern footballers, he can play anywhere over the back line.
That said, he benefits his left foot quite heavily – so when he plays on the right flank for Benfica, he tends to cut in when he wants to move forward.
Standing 6 ‘tall, he can also play centrally if pressure comes to shoot, and is exceptionally handy in the air for diagonal cross field balls.
EURO U21 2021 Qualifier “Netherlands U21 vs. Portugal U21” / ANP Sport / Getty Images
Tavares is expected to play on the international senior stage and has plenty of pedigree behind him at the youth level.
He made 22 appearances for Portugal at the levels under 18 and under 19 before going up to under 21 in 2019. He faces competition for places on the senior side, however, with Raphael Guerreiro and Nuno Mendes among the players vying for a starting point.
If all else fails, he has Cape Verde’s nationality to fall back on …
Tavares likes to move forward / Carlos Rodrigues / Getty Images
A special feature of Tavares that will appeal to Mikel Arteta is his appetite to move forward.
Playing for a successful side like Benfica helps in that regard, but Tavares always wants to develop the ball forward and synchronize the game with those further ahead of him.
He is also not afraid to run with the ball and has a decent turn. Six assists in 24 games for the Eagles would suggest that he also has the end product.
Nuno Tavare’s achievements have caught the eye of a number of Serie A clubs / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Arsenal are not the only club interested in signing Tavares, with Serie A duo Napoli and Lazio also known fans.
However, there is confidence that the young Portuguese star prefers to move to London, and it has previously been reported that he does not want to move elsewhere until he knows if Arsenal will follow an official offer.
Back in March 2021, the Portuguese outlet O Jogo claimed that Benfica would only maintain bids of around EUR 30 million (£ 25.5 million) for Tavares.
Newcastle and Burnley were the allegedly interested Premier League parties then, but talk of a move to either has gone silent. From June, he can be available for much less – among new reports that Benfica will accept around 15 million pounds.
Given that Tavares is relatively inexperienced at the highest level, it still seems like a high price to pay – but it is his potential and ceiling that can make him move rather than his ability to make an immediate impact.
