Arsenal
“Done deal” – Player in London to undergo medial with Arsenal and sign 5-year deal
Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano claims Nuno Tavares is in London to undergo his medical ahead of an initial £6.9m move to Arsenal from Benfica.
Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano claims Nuno Tavares is in London to undergo his medical ahead of an initial £6.9m move to Arsenal from Benfica.
Mikel Arteta is gearing up for a busy summer in the transfer market after a hugely frustrating campaign that saw Arsenal miss out on European qualification for the first time in 25 years following an eighth placed finish in the league.
A new left-back is on the agenda as Sead Kolasinac is expected to leave the Emirates Stadium having spent last season out on loan so Arteta needs support for Kieran Tierney – who had some injury issues last season.
Tavares has emerged as a prime target with widespread reports in recent days suggesting that Arsenal were in negotiations with Benfica over a potential deal to sign the highly-rated full-back this summer.
A breakthrough was reached in those talks as A Bola reported on Wednesday that Arsenal have agreed a deal with Benfica that will see them pay an initial £6.9m [€8m] up front and a further £1.7m [€2m] in add-ons.
The Portuguese publication said that Tavares was due to travel to the United Kingdom to finalise the move and Fabrizio Romano claims today that the defender is now in London to undergo his medical.
The Guardian journalist says the transfer is a ‘done deal’ and Tavares will sign a five-year contract at Arsenal with the youngster expected to triple his current wages once he signs on the dotted line.
Arsenal have an agreement signed with Benfica for Nuno Tavares since yesterday. Done deal, no doubt. Fee will be €8m, plus add ons. Nuno will sign until June 2026 – he’s in London to undergo his medical.
Tavares is now set to become Arsenal’s first major signing of the summer and he could be quickly followed by Albert Lokonga as Romano says the Gunners are now working to complete a deal for the Anderlecht midfielder.
So it looks as though Tavares will be an Arsenal player soon and the 21-year-old should prove to be an exciting addition to Arteta’s squad as he’s become one of the most highly-rated youngsters in Portuguese football.
I doubt he’ll challenge Tierney for the first team shirt next season so Tavares will have to settle for gaining experience in the domestic cups but he has the potential to develop into a top full-back under Arteta.
