Marseille Keen on Signing Arsenal Left-Back Nuno Tavares on a Loan Deal

Nuno Tavares, Atalanta, Olympique Marseille, Arsenal

According to latest reports, Olympique Marseille are keen on signing Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares on loan this summer. The French club are preparing to bolster their squad for their upcoming Champions League campaign, having finished second in the Ligue 1 last campaign.

The 22-year-old left-back arrived in England in July last year. Since then, Tavares has made 28 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions (stats via transfermarkt). He even scored a goal against Man United in Arsenal’s statement win at the Emirates Stadium. The full-back is likely to spend most of his time as a backup option for Kieran Tierney. So the club is willing to let him leave temporarily after just one season in North London.

Nuno Tavares, Arsenal, Marseille — Image obtained via TEAMtalk

As reorted by The Athletic, Olympique Marseille want to strengthen their squad by bringing in Nuno Tavares on a loan deal. However, the North London club will consider letting the player leave only if they sign a replacement in that position.

According to Foot Mercato (via The Hard Tackle), the proposal also includes a clause that will give them the option to buy the player at the end of the loan spell. The Gunners are yet to respond to their offer. Meanwhile, Italian side Atalanta have also expressed interest in signing the Portuguese full-back.

Olympique Marseille are really keen on signing Nuno Tavares, as reported by @Santi_J_FM – but there’s still no agreement with Arsenal on the final formula. ⚪️🔵 #OM

Nuno’s among options for OM but only on loan – while Arsenal are still working on Lisandro Martinez deal. #AFC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 23, 2022

Tavares has had a decent season for the Gunners, albeit with a few ups and downs. He played his part in helping Arsenal secure a Europa League spot and the thoughts about selling the player did not cross their minds for once. However, the French side’s sensible offer might force them to reconsider.

Should Arsenal Allow Nuno Tavares To Leave?

Nuno Tavares hasn’t settled properly yet. It is understandable that the inexperienced player might take some time to get adjusted to the Premier League standards. He has had some good moments that can also be overshadowed by some of his poor outings. There is a chance that Mikel Arteta won’t include the left-back in his future plans just yet because of those errors.

The 22-year-old has had some down moments last season but he still has enough potential to be a first-team player. Arteta is well-known for developing young talents and has remarkably helped in the speedy development of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe, and Gabriel Martinelli. Tavares does carry the same level of potential and could become a star like his teammates if he gets the right grooming.

Verdict

The Gunners loaned out William Saliba three years in a row. The Frenchman hasn’t played even a single game for the senior team despite signing for the club in 2019. However, his development during those loan spells has been massive. Saliba looks set to be a part of the first-team squad for Arsenal next season. They can take the same direction with Tavares to get bring out his potential.

Rather than losing a quality prospect permanently, the North London side could loan out Nuno Tavares to Marseille so that he gets some first-team experience and develop his abilities. The young left-back could follow in the footsteps of Saliba and return to Arsenal as an improved player to cement his place in the starting XI.

Arsenal letting go of Tavares will also make way for the potential arrival of players such as that of Lisandro Martinez. The Gunners have been very active in this transfer window and are gearing up for what might be a massive season for manager Arteta.

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