Arsenal close to ‘imminent’ Nuno Tavares transfer from Benfica

If the plan was for Arsenal to conduct their business away from the public eye, then there might be one deal in the works where they’ve successfully managed to do so. In the space of less than a day, talk over a deal for Nuno Tavares has gathered serious pace.

The Kieran Tierney backup remit is proving a tough nut to crack. The profile desired is well known as preferably young and homegrown, but convincing said target to come in and be second choice with no European football to counterbalance the lack of Premier League minutes adds to the difficulty.

Miguel Gutierrez has been (very) recently mentioned as an option for the position, with the 19-year-old Real Madrid academy graduate on the wishlist, yet if you pop over to Portugal you’ll be told that Arsenal have pretty much already signed someone else.

As noted by Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal had joined Lazio and Napoli (always a good sign when Napoli get involved) in contacting Nuno Tavares’ agents.

Arsenal close to ‘imminent’ Nuno Tavares transfer from Benfica as Mikel Arteta eyes Kieran Tierney backup in summer transfer window

Tavares’ priority above all the options is to join Arsenal and play in the Premier League – the ball is said to be in Arsenal’s court on this one. Additionally, reliable Arsenal journalist Charles Watts, as well as The Athletic, have since confirmed talks have begun, but state that he will be available for considerably less, at around £6m-£7m.

Fairly interesting stuff, but once we delve into the Portuguese media, it’s as if he’s already signed on the dotted line.

As per outlet JN, a deal is ‘imminent’ and terms have already been agreed in principle on a five-year deal with all parties, adding that Arsenal have fought off interest from fellow Premier League side Southampton to secure his signature.

A Bola weigh in by saying an ‘unknown’ English club are closing in on a £6m deal, which matches what has been said in the UK. Considering his release clause is set at closer to £75m, it would constitute a bargain amount for a player who Benfica boss Jorge Jesus labelled as ‘the future’ of the club. The Portuguese side are historically a selling club.

There is no doubting that the interest in Tavares is real, although a healthy amount of seasoning needs adding to the Portuguese reports that are known for their fair share of sensationalism (as are Italy).

Given this is intensifying, it’s best we go and profile the young defender, right?

Continued…

Arsenal Looking at Exciting Left-Back in Nuno Tavares

Starting with the checklist, Tavares meets all the requirements Arsenal are after in a left-back this window: he has a huge upside, is young, has room for development and won’t break the bank.

In terms of his style, it’s explosive.

While he wasn’t able to dislodge Alex Grimaldo from the starting lineup last season, on the occasions he did make the team his excellent pace stood out. And for those who didn’t have their eyes hidden behind their hands at that time, the 21-year-old came on for the final five minutes of the Gunners’ 3-2 second leg victory over Benfica in last season’s Europa League.

His marauding runs up and down the pitch are complemented by a delightfully high technical level, that also being boosted by a noticeable self-confidence. Tavares isn’t afraid to touch beyond his man and use pace to his advantage, nor is he woe to the occasional flick and trick to lose his marker.

There is also a distinct whip and pace to his crosses from wide areas that adds even greater tenacity to his play. All in all, he seems like an exciting package. What’s not to like?

Unfortunately, the noises coming out of England and Portugal are chalk and cheese. One need only scour through the replies across social media from Benfica supporters to get an entirely different picture.

An overwhelming happiness from Tavares’ current fanbase, as well as Portuguese journalists questioning Arsenal’s interest, doesn’t bode too well. The overriding emotion is that he can’t defend to save his life and his positioning out of possession requires a great deal of work.

The fact fans are happy to see the back of him also stems from an apparent bad attitude. A lot of the criticism directed Tavares’ way has its roots in a video uploaded with the defender in which some unsavoury comments were made about the first choice left-back, Grimaldo.

Therefore, every side of the debate has to be tempered with personal feelings on the matter.

But, looking positively and as balanced as can be, Tavares is superb attacking outlet with huge upside who needs some coaching doing on his defensive positioning and awareness. That’s manageable.

This deal has picked up pace considerably over the past 24 hours though, and while some of the Portuguese outlets are likely getting ahead of themselves, the left-back’s future should become clearer in the coming days.