Out-of-favour Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares is reportedly on the verge of joining Serie A club Lazio from Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by reputed Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Nuno Tavares has been the subject of interest from Lazio in the last few weeks. The Serie A giants have reached an agreement to sign the 24-year-old out-of-favour Arsenal defender, with personal terms no longer an issue.
However, the details of the upcoming transfer vary, with Di Marzio suggesting Lazio will cough up €5 million to sign Tavares while giving Arsenal a big percentage sell-on fee. On the other hand, the reliable Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the Serie A club will initially sign him on a season-long loan deal with a mandatory purchase clause and a sell-on.
Nuno Tavares and his struggles
Nuno Tavares has endured a frustrating three years since joining Arsenal from SL Benfica in July 2021. The Portuguese wide man’s debut season was disastrous, and the North London club loaned him to Marseille in July 2022. While he was impressive at the Ligue 1 club, Arsenal did not hand him a way back to prominence at the Emirates.
The 24-year-old spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Nottingham Forest but could not even manage 700 minutes of game time across 12 appearances in all competitions. So, Tavares has understandably been desperate to resurrect his stuttering career, with Lazio handing him an escape route from Arsenal.
Will Serie A move resurrect Tavares?
Lazio’s interest in Nuno Tavares is understandable. The Serie A giants have been keen on signing a left-back heading into the summer transfer window amid uncertainties surrounding the long-term future of Luca Pellegrini. The Arsenal outcast thus emerged as a viable target, with the two clubs quickly reaching an agreement for a summer move.
Convincing the 24-year-old defender was the final task for Lazio, with talks advancing this week. That has happened, with the Biancocelesti convincing Tavares to swap London for Rome. Fabrizio Romano has suggested that the Arsenal outcast has agreed to sign a five-year contract with the Serie A outfit.
The official announcements will reveal which journalist is correct with his information, with Gianluca Di Marzio pointing to a permanent transfer and Fabrizio Romano suggesting a loan move with a mandatory purchase clause.
