24-year-old Portuguese left-back Nuno Tavares has joined Serie A club Lazio on a permanent deal after a season-long loan at the Italian side.
Lisbon-born Nuno joined Arsenal from Benfica in 2021 and made 28 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal.
Rising through the Ranks
Tavares joined Benfica’s academy in 2015, aged 15, where he would spend 6 years with the club.
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His talent was so impressive that he was promoted to the first team. His debut was just as spectacular as his talent, lifting silverware aged 19 as Benfica defeated Sporting Lisbon 5-0 in the Portuguese Super Cup in August 2019.
Series of loan spells
After his debut season at Benfica, the attacking left-back joined Arsenal and immediately went on loan to Olympique Marseille for the 2022/23 season.
Under manager Igor Tudor, he adapted well to the attacking full-back role in a 3-4-2-1 system.
He played 39 matches across all competitions, scoring 6 goals and providing 1 assist. His 31 Ligue 1 appearances yielded 6 goals, a strong return for a defender, showcasing his pace and offensive potential.
Tavares scored on his debut in a 4-1 win over Reims and earned praise for his dynamism, though defensive inconsistencies persisted.
Arsenal then sent Tavares on another loan at Nottingham Forest for the 2023/24 season late in the summer window, with a reported £12 million option to buy.
He struggled for minutes under managers Steve Cooper and later Nuno Espírito Santo, competing with other top-talent left-backs like Ola Aina and Harry Toffolo.
Nuno made 12 appearances across all competitions for Nottingham Forest, with 8 in the Premier League, totaling 565 minutes. No goals or assists were recorded, and Forest declined the option to buy.
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The Nottingham Forest technical team felt that he was not a perfect fit for their crowded squad and cited cases of lack of defensive discipline and Nuno went back to Arsenal.
Tavares was then sent to Lazio for yet another season-long loan for the 2024/25 season, with an obligation to buy if certain conditions were met.
The permanent fee was reported to be €6-9 million, with Arsenal securing a 20-40% sell-on clause.
Tavares excelled at Lazio, making 30 appearances across all competitions and providing 9 assists, 8 of which came in his first 9 Serie A matches.
His form under Marco Baroni earned him the nickname “king of assists” in Portuguese media and a first senior Portugal cap in November 2024.
These loan spells reflect Nuno’s search for consistency, with Marseille and Lazio highlighting his attacking flair, while Forest exposed challenges in adapting to certain systems. His time at Lazio has been his most successful, leading to a permanent move.
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