Arsenal transfer news: Tavares makes permanent Lazio switch - BBC Sport
Chelsea won their third match on the bounce in all competitions last afternoon as they comfortably dispatched Nottingham Forest to earn a 3-0 win on matchday eight of the Premier League, with goals from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James.
A routine outing for the Blues was marked by a fairly decent performance by Marc Cucurella, who made 11 contributions, and has been one of the team’s most vital players this season. However, there is no reliable back-up for the Spaniard.
With Chelsea looking to revamp their defence next year, Italian source Il Messaggero has reported that they are looking to sign former Arsenal left back and current Lazio star Nuno Tavares in January, having also been keen on the player in the summer.
His £43 million price tag a couple of months ago was not viewed as a reasonable amount by the club but with Lazio now struggling with financial compliances, they are expected to reduce their asking price for Tavares in January.
Tavares a good back-up option
Nuno Tavares has featured in all of Lazio’s Serie A matches so far this season, starting five games out of six, so Chelsea’s biggest challenge with signing the 25-year-old would be convincing him to play as Marc Cucurella’s back-up.
However, given a better financial offer and the prospect of playing regularly in the Champions League, Tavares could be open to the proposition of returning to the Premier League after a turbulent spell at Arsenal before heading to Italy.
Tavares mainly boasts offensive strengths, so he will be a helpful asset against low blocks. His crossing, dribbling and pace are standout qualities, whereas his intelligent overlapping runs also create plenty of space for attackers in the final third.
From a defensive perspective, the Portuguese’s skill sets are average although he does provide aerial security. While he is still an inferior overall player compared to Cucurella, he promises to be a great secondary option should be arrive at a nominal amount.