Mikel Arteta allowed Nuno Tavares to leave Arsenal this summer. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Arsenal continue to make great strides under Mikel Arteta and after building a very competitive squad in north London, the Spaniard may have made a mistake in allowing Nuno Tavares to leave in the summer.
The left-back position is an area of the pitch that Arteta has yet to fully sort out, as the Spanish manager has experimented with a number of players in the role over the past two seasons.
Riccardo Calafiori was signed in the summer with the intention of establishing the Italian as the Gunners’ long-term left-back. However, with the 22-year-old set to miss the next few weeks through injury, it wouldn’t be a bad time for the north London club to have Nuno Tavares available for selection.
The Portuguese star has been at Arsenal since 2021 but has spent the last three seasons on loan as Arteta appears to dislike the 24-year-old. The full-back joined Lazio on loan during the summer for the 2024/25 campaign and has been brilliant in Italy as part of a back four.
It has Tavarez He took part in seven games for Roma and provided seven assists to help Lazio rise to sixth in the Serie A standings.
Marco Baroni seems to get the best out of the defender and if he continues to perform like this, could the Portuguese star have a future at Arsenal?
Does Nuno Tavares have a future at Arsenal?
Despite his success with Lazio, it seems like Tavares had his time to prove himself at Arsenal and regardless of what he does in Italy, he won’t be in Arteta’s plans going forward.
The Portuguese talent played 28 times for the Gunners since arriving in 2021, producing just one goal and two assists.
Ultimately, the left-back is not good enough for the levels that Arsenal and Arteta hope to reach and with Calafiori on the scene, the The likely outcome for the defender is that he will be sold permanently in 2025.
