Aston Villa have entered the race to sign Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa are exploring the possibility of bringing Nuno Tavares to Villa Park this summer.
Negotiations are still in the early stages, with personal terms yet to be agreed, as Aston Villa are still chasing the signature of Marcos Acuna. However, Tavares is certainly available, and Arsenal will be open to striking a deal with Aston Villa, with Nottingham Forest’s move for the players having collapsed.
Tavares clearly has no future with the Gunners. Arsenal paid £8 million to sign him from Benfica in 2021. However, he struggled for consistency in the Premier League that season. The 23-year-old spent last season on loan with Marseille, where he excelled at times, but also had difficult moments where his defensive frailties were exposed.
Stylistically, Tavares isn’t a comfortable fit for Arteta’s style of play, and the Spanish coach has also been said to have been “annoyed” by Tavares’ behaviour at times. Unai Emery, though, will back himself to get the best out of the former Portugal under-21 international.
Tavares an awkward option for Unai Emery
Tavares has plenty of quality. Going forward he is quick, direct, and fearless. He will take on opposition defenders, drive forward with the ball, and get himself into positions where he can do damage. His six Ligue 1 goals last season with Marseille demonstrates an impressive return for a left-back.
The big flaw in his game is defensively. He is error-prone and can be guilty of costly lapses in concentration. Considering how details-oriented and precise Emery is as a coach, it would be a real challenge for Tavares to meet his demands. The player’s lack of tactical discipline could be a huge obstacle in the way of him succeeding at Aston Villa.
