Arsenal have confirmed that Nuno Tavares has signed for Lazio on a permanent transfer.
The 25-year-old left-back joined the Gunners for £8million from Benfica in July 2021 and made 28 appearances during his debut season in north London, scoring once. He found the net in a 3-1 win against Manchester United.
However, the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City in the following summer pushed Tavares down the pecking order and he ended up signing for Marseille on loan.
He spent the 2022/23 season at Stade Velodrome and impressed, scoring six times in 39 matches and that earned him a move to Nottingham Forest at the start of the next campaign.
But Tavares failed to shine at The City Ground and featured just 12 times during a disappointing loan spell, and Forest therefore decided against triggering a £12m option to buy clause.
In July 2024, Tavares was on the move again, this time to Serie A as Lazio secured his services on loan with an obligation to purchase if certain conditions were met.
Tavares made an excellent start to life at Lazio, providing eight assists in his first nine league appearances. Although his creative output dried up and he spent a sustained amount of time out injured, Tavares has secured a permanent move to Lazio on a three-year deal.
He has made the switch to Rome in a £6m transfer and becomes the third senior player to leave Arsenal after it was confirmed that Jorginho and Kieran Tierney are leaving when their contracts expire at the end of this month.
Arsenal announced in a statement on Thursday morning that Tavares has left the club. It ended: “Everyone at Arsenal would like to thank Nuno for his contribution to the club and wish him all the best for the future. The deal is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.”
Lazio, meanwhile, said: “S.S. Lazio announces that it has permanently signed the footballer Nuno Albertino Varela Tavares, coming from Arsenal F.C. The footballer has signed an employment contract until 30 June 2028.”
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