Arsenal hopeful of Nuno Tavares pre-season boost

Like London buses! If, that is, you were waiting for the bus for a month and it hasn’t actually got to the stop yet and is stuck at a red light that appears to be broken. From having signed nobody though, Arsenal are close to almost confirming two players.

As Arsenal announce they will be next up to feature in Amazon’s much-loved All Or Nothing behind-the-scenes documentary series, behind the actual scenes there is work being done to complete the first transfers of the summer.

Albert Sambi Lokonga is having his Arsenal medical ahead of a move from Anderlecht in a deal that could be worth around £20m, and Nuno Tavares is following suit.

The search for a left-back had been fruitless since January. Nobody could be convinced to join mid-season to act as Kieran Tierney’s backup, and while an understandably tough deal to pull off, the lack of a recognised left-back proved detrimental to Arsenal’s season once Tierney got injured.

Arsenal hopeful of Nuno Tavares pre-season boost as left-back closes in one Mikel Arteta’s first summer transfer window signing

With focus elsewhere in the window, the emergence of Tavares’ name was an exciting left-field development amid a general lack of knowledge of the player.

Moving quickly, Arsenal have got their hands on someone who is young, athletic, affordable, on a long contract and versatile to solve a real problem area in the squad. On paper it’s great business. In action it remains to be seen.

Pre-season is underway for Arsenal and with the club preparing to travel to Scotland to face Hibernian for the first of their mini-tour next week, they’ve been handed a boost with Tavares.

As per Charles Watts, the 21-year-old has completed his isolation period after arriving in the capital and was present at London Colney on Friday. The club are working on wrapping up the final details of the move and are hopeful of having the Portuguese available to travel north with the rest of the squad for the training camp.

Tierney has been granted an extended break after featuring for Scotland at the European Championships and while his return won’t be as late as Bernd Leno’s, for example, it opens up a spot for Tavares to play his first minutes for the Gunners.

Sead Kolasinac is back at Arsenal following his loan spell with Schalke 04 and will likely start against Hibs as Tavares is eased into action, although as someone on the transfer list there could be developments between now and then which leave the former Benfica player as the only senior option.

One down and…a lot to go?