Arsenal are reportedly closing in on the transfer of Portuguese left-back Nuno Tavares, who will be signing a five-year contract with the Gunners.
According to a report from Jornal de Noticias, Arsenal are on the verge of completing the signing of SL Benfica defender Nuno Tavares, with the two clubs reaching an agreement in principle over the transfer. The 21-year-old has also agreed personal terms and will be signing a five-year contract with the Premier League bigwigs.
Tavares made his way to the Benfica youth setup in 2015 after having spent time at the academies of Sporting CP and Casa Pia. Having gradually risen through the ranks at the club, the left-back made his first-team debut in 2019 at the age of 19 and has continued to be in and around the first-team ever since, although he has generally found himself behind Alex Grimaldo in the pecking order.
To date, Tavares has made 41 appearances for Benfica, 25 of which came during the 2020/21 term when he also managed to create three goals for his teammates. While he may not have been a regular, the 21-year-old has shown enough potential for Arsenal to take a plunge on him this summer, it seems.
Arsenal’s interest in Tavares makes a great deal of sense as well. The Gunners are in desperate need of a new left-back to cover for and compete with first-choice Kieran Tierney. The Scottish international, who recently signed a new contract, has had several injury issues during his time at the Emirates. But with Sead Kolasinac on his way out, manager Mikel Arteta does not have any natural backup options.
Such a situation had forced him to use the likes of Cedric Soares and Granit Xhaka as makeshift left-backs during the course of the last campaign to varying degrees of success. So, strengthening the position with the signing of someone young like Tavares, who will not immediately demand first-team football and has room to grow with experience would be a smart move by the north Londoners.
And, as things stand, the report states that the 21-year-old Portuguese defender is on his way to the Emirates. It is stated that Arsenal and Benfica already have an agreement in principle for Tavares’ transfer – something that has been corroborated by reputed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. Indeed, the Italian journalist claims that the deal will cost Arsenal €8 million plus add-ons.
Like the aforementioned report, Romano also mentions that personal terms have been agreed as well, with Tavares set to sign a five-year contract with the Gunners, while agent fees have also been sorted out. So, it seems like Arsenal’s search for a new left-back, which had also led them to Real Madrid’s Miguel Gutierrez, is now set to come to an end with the signing of Tavares.
