Aston Villa are reportedly keen on signing 23-year-old Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares this summer, with talks underway.
A report from 90min claims that Aston Villa have held talks with Arsenal regarding a move for Nuno Tavares. The 23-year-old defender does not feature in Mikel Arteta’s plans at the North London club.
Tavares was on loan at French club Marseille last season, and he needs to play regularly this season. Arsenal already have Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko at their disposal, and they will not be able to provide him with regular first-team football.
It makes sense for the Portuguese defender to move on in search of regular playing time, and a move to Aston Villa would be ideal for him this summer. So the interest from Aston Villa is hardly surprising.
Alex Moreno is currently sidelined with an injury, and Lucas Digne has been linked with a move away from the West Midlands club. So it is no surprise that Unai Emery is looking to bring in a quality left-back. Tavares had an impressive loan spell at Marseille last season, and he ended up contributing six goals across all competitions.
He will help Aston Villa improve defensively and he will add a new dimension to their attack going forward. The Portuguese defender is still only 23 and he is likely to improve with coaching and experience. Regular football at Aston Villa will help him improve as a player and fulfil his tremendous potential.
Arsenal need to bring in a quality central defender after the injury to Jurrien Timber, and the departure of Tavares could free up some funds. The Gunners came close to winning the Premier League title last season, and they will be hoping to go all the way this time around.
A defensive injury towards the end of last season derailed the title race. So Mikel Arteta will be hoping to avoid a similar situation this year. They signed Timber to add quality and depth to the defensive unit. But the Dutchman is now sidelined for several months with a serious injury.
It will be interesting to see if Arsenal can agree on a deal for Tavares and use the funds to bring in a quality alternative. As for Aston Villa, they looked quite vulnerable defensively in their opening game of the Premier League season. So they could certainly use quality defensive reinforcements in the next few days. They have also been linked with Marcos Acuna. But Tavares might be their top option now.
