Nuno Tavares left Arsenal permanently in 2025 following a difficult period in North London and the defender has now been touted for big things having shone for Lazio
Nuno Tavares
Nuno Tavares left Arsenal in 2025(Image: Getty Images)
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Legendary former midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has claimed that ex-Arsenal star Nuno Tavares would be good enough to play for Real Madrid. The Portuguese defender currently plies his trade under Gattuso at Lazio, having signed for the club permanently following an initial loan move.
Tavares, 26, has gone on to make 62 appearances for the Italian giants and has teed up 11 goals. His form in Italy is at odds with his spell in North London, having made just 28 appearances for Arsenal following his arrival from Benfica.
Tavares is potentially more well known for being hauled off after just 34 minutes in an FA Cup clash with Nottingham Forest.
Speaking at the time, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “Today was just a tactical reason for how I wanted to do it with what Palace was doing and how we could attack and control the game much better in that position.
“We wanted to put another attacking midfielder with Emile in that space and that was the only reason. I’m sorry that it was Nuno again, but we had to do it.”
And Arsenal fans might now be baffled to hear that he has been tipped for a stunning move to Real Madrid. Speaking at the weekend, Lazio boss Gattuso said: “I always said that Tavares is worthy of Real Madrid. He feels like someone who lost his parents young, received a big inheritance, and in five years it went up in smoke.
“This is a player who ought to be at Real Madrid. He’s got everything it takes, he has pace, right foot, left foot. He is unusual, but after a match he needs his time to recover, but he’s a good lad, you need to get into his head and make him understand.
“He knows he has talent and could’ve had 10/12 years at Real Madrid with his qualities. You’ve just got to get him to understand.”
Nuno Tavares
Tavares has shone in his time with Lazio(Image: Getty Images)
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Tavares joined Arsenal from Portuguese giants Benfica and made 28 appearances in his debut campaign. He was then allowed to join French side Marseille the following campaign and he shone in Ligue 1, scoring six goals in 31 outings.
His next port of call was back in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest but he made just 12 appearances in all competitions throughout the season, before his eventual switch to Lazio.
Tavares was actually linked with a move away from the Italian side this summer, news that would have been welcomed by Arsenal given they are worth a share of any fee that Lazio receive, having written a sell-on clause into the deal.
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