Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares experienced a turbulent first year in north London, with both highs and lows experienced in north London.
Acquired for a fee of £7 million, Tavares was signed to provide adequate left-back cover in the event of Scottish International Kieran Tierney sustaining an injury or becoming unavailable for other potential reasons.
The 22-year-old delivered some strong performances earlier on in the season against the likes of Aston Villa, Leicester and Watford but since the turn of the new year, he struggled when called into action.
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Manager Mikel Arteta hooked the former Benfica defender before half-time in the Gunners' 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup and the 6ft full-back was used sparingly in the Premier League despite Tierney suffering knee ligament damage during international duty which ruled him out of action for the latter stages of the campaign.
It's clear that Tavares is very raw and shows clear deficiencies both with and without the ball, particularly in deeper areas so a loan elsewhere that will allow him to learn his trade without being a detriment seems to be a sensible option.
Serie A outfit Atalanta are reportedly interested in taking Tavares on loan and certainly, this would be a deal that makes sense for a number of reasons.
Under the stewardship of Gian Piero Gasperini, Tavares would be operating as a left-wing back, tasked with offering natural width and delivering quality inside the final third. which is where his best qualities lie.
Interestingly, in a report by Gianluca Di Marzio, Arsenal are demanding that a £34 million ‘option to buy' clause is inserted which suggests that the club have eyes on profiting substantially from his purchase.
Whether a deal will happen or not remains to be seen but perhaps this is one to keep a close eye on in the coming days.
