Arsenal outcast reveals reason behind Emirates move as European side near ‘surprise’ Gunner transfer

Nuno Tavares has revealed former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi’s role in convincing him to join Lazio on loan, while another Gunner is closing in on a permanent exit.

Tavares swapped Benfica for Arsenal in the summer of 2021 for a fee in the region of £8m and initially, it looked like the left-back would be a bargain purchase.

Following an injury to first-choice option Kieran Tierney, the Portugal Under-21 international secured a starting spot and earned praise from manager Mikel Arteta for his performances.

However, as time went by, the then-21-year-old began to make more mistakes, was caught out of position, and on a number of occasions he was subbed off at half-time.

Despite chalking up 28 appearances in his first season with the Gunners, he has not played for their first team since 2022.

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A successful loan spell at Marseille, where he scored six goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, followed by a less fruitful stint at Nottingham Forest last term left an uncertain future for Tavares.

It wasn’t long, however, before the now 24-year-old was on the move again, with Lazio securing his services for the 2024/25 season.

Barring a dramatic change of events, it is likely that Tavares has already played his last game for the Gunners as Lazio stated his move comes with an obligation to buy if certain sporting conditions are met.

Guendouzi played ‘fundamental’ role in loan move

Now, the Portuguese has opened up on heading to the Italian outfit, with Guendouzi – who had an eventful two year stint at Arsenal between 2018-20 – playing his part in bringing him to the Serie A team.

He told reporters: “I had several experiences on my trip, the best was in Marseille. In Nottingham we fought against relegation and that made me stronger mentally. He (Guendouzi) had a fundamental role; we spoke three times, and he convinced me to make this choice.

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“I want to play as much as possible because my goal is to win matches and trophies. I feel much better, I’m doing everything I can to get back as soon as possible. I think there is little time left until I return but I can’t say a date.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal have had a quiet window in terms of incomings so far. Goalkeeper David Raya’s loan move from Brentford became permanent earlier this summer and Riccardo Calafiori is the sole new addition after signing from Bologna for a fee worth up to £42m.

Arsenal youngster nearing transfer exit

On the flip side, Emile Smith Rowe left the Gunners for Fulham for a fee that could rise to £34m, while Mohamed Elneny, Arthur Okonkwo and Cedric Soares were also among the departures.

One man who looks set to follow them out of the Emirates exit door is Brook Norton-Cuffy. Reports suggest the 20-year-old, will head for Genoa in a transfer that could rise to £3.5m.

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The right-back, who joined the Gunners in 2016 from Chelsea but is yet to make his first-team debut, is understood to be undergoing a medical on Wednesday (August 14) ahead of completing his move.

Norton-Cuffy, who has had loan spells at Lincoln City, Rotherham United, Coventry City, and Millwall in recent seasons, has been labelled as a ‘surprise addition’ by Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb.

If the deal goes through without a hitch, he could make his Genoa debut on Saturday, where they face defending Serie A champions and European giants Inter Milan.