Nuno Tavares

Who is Nuno Tavares?

Nuno Albertino Varela Tavares known as Nuno Tavares is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a left-back for the Premier League giants Arsenal.

After brief stints with Sporting CP and Casa Pia’s youth sides, he joined SL Benfica’s academy as a 15-year-old six years ago before making his debut for the B side three years later.

He broke into the first-team at the start of the 2019-20 term, making his debut in a 5-0 win against the Lions to win the Portuguese Super Cup.

As of the 2020-21 term, he made 41 senior appearances across all competitions, netting once and laying on seven assists. In the summer of 2021, Tavares joined the Gunners on a long-term deal.

Back in March 2021, Portuguese newspaper O Jogo claimed that the Benfica board would only entertain offers of around €30m (£25.5m) for him.

In June, fresh reports claimed that As Aguias would accept around £15m but the north London heavyweights have agreed to fork out an initial fee of around £7 million for the player.

That sum could rise, however, by a further £1.5 million should certain clauses be met during Nuno’s stay at the Emirates Stadium outfit.

Arsenal were not the only club interested in landing Tavares, with Serie A duo Lazio and Napoli are also known admirers.

Which position does the Portuguese talent play?

He is viewed primarily as an attacking, strong left-back, who has athletic qualities and excellent pace.

Nuno has occasionally filled in at left-midfield and right-back but has spent the vast majority of his young career in the left-back position.

The ace is prone to periodic error defensively, which is why he’s arriving at the Emirates as a back-up with the chance to learn and develop as a footballer.

He’ll likely learn a lot from first-choice Kieran Tierney, who has developed into a high-quality attacking full-back in the latest seasons.

What national team does the Gunners youngster play for?

He has represented Portugal at youth level, playing at Under-18 and Under-19 sides before featuring in the first of his two matches for the Under-21 side in September 2019.

While Tavares has played Portugal at a couple of levels, the highly-regarded prodigy also has links to Cape Verde, though it is unclear whether Nuno is eligible for the country.