A player who is currently on loan from Arsenal, Nuno Tavares is unlike any other player that Serie A has ever seen before. He is like a bullet train that cannot be stopped.
During the summer of 2017, the 25-year-old player joined Lazio on an initial loan deal, which included an obligation to buy for approximately six to seven million pounds. Since then, he has been a revelation in Italy.
Considering that the flying left-back is experiencing a renaissance in Italy after having a difficult time settling in England, this is a decision that the Gunners may come to regret in the future.
Tavares has provided eight assists in Serie A this season, which is six more than he managed to provide in his 28 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions. No other player has provided more assists than Tavares.
At the Emirates, the Portuguese defender, who had been acquired from Benfica for a fee of eight million pounds in 2021, was plagued by inconsistency.
When he was filling in for Kieran Tierney, who was injured, he initially impressed fans with his athleticism. However, his performances quickly began to decline, and his defensive abilities were called into question.
Tavares is now considered to be Lazio’s most prominent player, despite the fact that Mikel Arteta regarded him as being unnecessary.
And once again, he left spectators and pundits in a state of awe with his spirited performance in Lazio’s 2-1 victory away at AC Milan on Sunday, which contributed to the team’s rise to the fourth spot in the standings.
Mike Grella, a former winger for both Brentford and Leeds, stated on CBS Sports that Tavares is a talent that simply cannot be matched by anyone else.
While this was going on, Nigel Reo-Coker, a former midfielder for West Ham and Aston Villa, compared him to the legendary Javier Zanetti of Inter Milan.
During his post-match analysis, Grella made the following statement about the full-back: “Tavares… is currently being drug tested.”
“He should be in there getting drug tested right now!” +
During his interjection, Reo-Coker was quick to praise his work rate, saying, “He was like a Trojan horse today, he just didn’t stop.” Reo-Coker was quick to praise his work rate.
After that, Grella, who was still allowed to continue playing by Tavares, stated that his individuality distinguishes him from anyone else who has ever competed in the Italian top-flight.
I have never seen a player like that in Italy, and it’s possible that I’ve never seen one before.
The news organisation CBS has been covering it for the past four years, and I have been a viewer of it throughout my entire life.
“But in the last four year, I haven’t seen a player that can run at that capacity and at that power – he doesn’t always have the final product.”
Reo-Coker, once again contributing, went one step further by comparing him to Zanetti, a player who is considered to be one of the greatest full-backs in the history of the sport. Zanetti won 18 major honours while playing for Inter, including the Champions League in 2010.
“Are you aware of the person that he reminds me of, though?” the forty-year-old said.
“Zanetti, the great full-back for Inter, is here.” There is a comparison that makes me think of him, and it is something that I haven’t seen in such a long time for him.
Grella, who had the final say, then made the following statement: “I don’t know if Zanetti was that quick, but my God, this guy is a bullet train.”
The only season that Tavares spent playing for Arsenal was during the 2021/22 season, before he was sent to Marseille on loan.
It would be an understatement to say that he spent the previous season at Nottingham Forest; however, the Reds did not exercise their buy-option agreement after he had made eight appearances in the Premier League.
Due to the fact that Tavares’ contract reportedly includes a sell-on clause of twenty percent, Arsenal will be hoping that a potential buyer will be able to acquire him from Lazio during the summer in order to increase their transfer budget.
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