Arsenal loan star proving a massive hit at new club after continued Arteta snubs

A fringe Arsenal star currently out on loan in Italy has been showered with praise by his new club having failed to make his mark under Mikel Arteta in north London.

Nuno Tavares joined Serie A side Lazio on a season-long loan in July having fallen out of favour with Arteta since making an £8million switch from Benfica back in 2021.

Indeed, the Portugal defender has spent the last two seasons out on loan at Marseille and Nottingham Forest respectively.

That spell at the City Ground turned into a largely forgettable one for Tavares as he made just 12 appearances in all competitions, but he has made an immediate impression at Lazio in his current loan stint.

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After picking up an injury in pre-season, the 24-year-old made his debut before the current international break with an eye-catching display, notching two assists as Lazio drew 2-2 with AC Milan.

Lazio owner raves over Arsenal loanee

And that performance was certainly appreciated by Lazio owner Claudio Lotito who raved about the Arsenal defender’s potential, amongst others.

“We have built a new team with potential suited to today’s football, be patient,” he told Italian outlet Il Messaggero.

“Ours is a real and strong group. We have many players called up by the national team , but I am convinced that all the new arrivals are also of a high level.

“But have you seen what technique [Taty] Castellanos has? And now he has also made his debut with Argentina.

“You always have to give the players time to settle in. Tavares is the same, have you seen what a player he is? And now you will also see [Samuel] Gigot.”

Lazio do have an option to buy on Tavares which stands at between €7-8million, but there is a long way to go in the current campaign before that will be properly considered.

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