Nottingham Forest are targeting new signings as they look to bolster their squad for the 2023/24 Premier League season. A new left-back is on the agenda and they appear to be getting closer to a top target. Here’s the latest with the potential Nuno Tavares Nottingham Forest transfer.
23 year old Tavares initially joined Arsenal in the summer of 2021 for a fee of around £8m from Benfica. He featured regularly during the 2021/22 campaign for the Gunners making 22 appearances in the Premier League with 13 of those as a starter. However it was a relatively difficult transition to life in England for the Portuguese U21 international with some costly errors also contributing to Arsenal’s decision to loan him out last summer.
His next destination was Marseille where Tavares was a more regular starter and impressed with his attacking play, scoring 6 goals in Ligue 1, a really impressive return for a full-back. However with Arsenal strengthening their defensive options considerably since Tavares’ initial move to the Emirates, he now finds himself well down the pecking order in terms of Mikel Arteta’s plans.
While an injury for new boy Jurrien Timber and talk of Kieran Tierney leaving would in theory be good news for Tavares, it’s still questionable whether the Arsenal boss has enough trust in the player to keep him around as back-up to Oleksandr Zinchenko this season.
Nuno Tavares Nottingham Forest transfer: Latest Update
EXCL: Nottingham Forest submit formal proposal to sign Arsenal left back Nuno Tavares on permanent deal 🚨🌳🇵🇹
Forest trying top signing as new fullback as negotiations are still ongoing also on player side.
Deal on. pic.twitter.com/nfmoScIMIe
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 16, 2023
Given Nuno Tavares hasn’t exactly been a revelation since moving to North London, Arsenal may jump at the chance to move the player on whilst still getting a return on their initial investment.
Nottingham Forest are believed to have submitted a proposal that could see the left-back move to the East Midlands on a permanent basis. The possible fee is unknown at this point, but it’s likely to be slightly in excess of what Arsenal paid for the defender.
That’s a result of Tavares having a more encouraging season on loan in France. With the 23 year old seemingly not a major part of Mikel Arteta’s plans, Arsenal will surely consider any proposal from Forest as they bid to trim the squad.
However there will be many considerations for the Gunners and moving both Tavares and Kieran Tierney on would leave them short on options on the left side of defence. Much may depend on the kinds of proposals that come in for Tierney and whether Arsenal are serious about selling the Scotland international.
Will Tavares follow Matt Turner to the City Ground?
Nottingham Forest have already looked to the Emirates for one new arrival this summer. Goalkeeper Matt Turner moved to the City Ground for a reported £10m fee earlier in the transfer window. The American made his Forest debut against his former club at the weekend with Steve Cooper’s side falling to a 2-1 defeat.
Targeting fringe players at clubs at the top end of the Premier League has been a major part of Nottingham Forest’s recruitment strategy. They’ve already signed Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood on permanent deals from Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively. Those two deals were slightly more expensive but any move for Nuno Tavares is likely to involve a transfer fee more in the region of what they paid for Turner.
There is no guarantee that Tavares would go straight into the Forest team. They started with new boy Ola Aina as a left wing-back in the Premier League opener with promising youngster Neco Williams also coming on to feature on that side of the pitch. However Cooper will want more competition and if Tavares can settle down and improve the defensive side of his game, he has the potential to make the position his own.
