Transfer: Arsenal defender Nuno joins Awoniyi’s Forest on loan
Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares has joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan deal.
The 23-year-old arrives at the City Ground for the upcoming campaign with a £12m option to buy and becomes the Tricky Trees’ seventh new arrival of the summer window.
Tavares follows former Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner to Nottingham, as well as Murillo, Anthony Elanga, Ola Aina, Gonzalo Montiel and Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos.
Speaking to the official Nottingham Forest website, Tavares – who will wear the number three jersey at the City Ground – said: “I’m really happy to be here.
READ ALSO:Transfer: Arsenal defender Nuno joins Awoniyi’s Forest on loan
“Forest is an historic club which won two European Cups and to be part of it makes me really happy. I’m really happy to stay in the Premier League as it’s the best league in the world and I’m thankful to Forest for giving me that opportunity.”
Forest’s Chief Football Officer Ross Wilson added: “We are pleased to welcome Nuno to the club today. I know how determined he is to do well here and our staff are all looking forward to working with him.”
Tavares left Benfica in 2021 to join Arsenal in an €8m (£6.9m) deal, and the Portugal Under-21 international has since represented the Gunners on 28 occasions, scoring one goal and setting up two more.
All of Tavares’s appearances for Arsenal came in the 2021-22 season, where he initially impressed while deputising for the injured Kieran Tierney, but he fell down the pecking order after Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival.
The left-back subsequently joined French giants Marseille on a temporary deal last term, and he thrived in a wing-back role with three goals from his first four appearances in Ligue 1.
Tavares ended the campaign with six strikes from 39 games for Les Olympiens, during which he also started all six of their Champions League group-stage games and helped them finish third in the French top flight.
Following the end of his time in France, Tavares played every minute for Portugal at the Under-21 European Championships as his nation reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners England.
Tavares becomes the 10th player to leave Arsenal on loan or permanently in the summer window, and the Gunners are also working on the departures of Nicolas Pepe, Rob Holding, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Cedric Soares ahead of the 11pm deadline.