Nuno Tavares must repeat the agent role carried out by Bukayo Saka to help the Gunners in a future transfer. Arsenal have been known admirers of Rafael Leao and Tavares could play a big role in helping the Gunners to secure his signature.
Tavares and Leao played together for Portugal at youth level, and are now constantly seen interacting with each other on social media. It is for this reason that Leao gave Tavares a shout-out on Sunday evening following his first goal for Marseille.
Saka used being called for duty with England to persuade Aaron Ramsdale to join the club ahead of last season. Tavares could repeat this trick to persuade Leao to join the Gunners.
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Ramsdale joined Arsenal for a £30m fee last August, and in an interview with football magazine FourFourTwo, the goalkeeper was asked how Mikel Arteta sold the club to him ahead of his transfer last year.
"It wasn’t him, to be honest – it was Bukayo," he replied. "I heard rumours that Arsenal were interested in me when I was at the camp before the Euros, and Bukayo had mentioned that he and the boss had been talking about me."
Saka’s crucial role in persuading Ramsdale to join the club should be repeated by Tavares to persuade Leao to make the move to north London, especially considering the desperate need for Arsenal to sign a winger. Arsenal have been linked with a ‘mystery winger’ which, according to Fabrizio Romano, remains a position Edu and Mikel Arteta want to address.
Leao showed his support towards Tavares on Sunday evening following his first goal for Marseille after making the season-long loan switch from the Gunners. Leao tweeted: “Showwww them my boy."
Arsenal reportedly registered interest in Leao earlier last season as Italian outlet La Repubblica claimed that Arsenal had turned their attention to the AC Milan forward for the summer transfer window. The Portuguese attacker scored 13 goals and had seven assists for Milan in the last campaign, and would certainly add more quality to Arsenal’s frontline.
His excellent performances last season helped his Milan side to lift the Serie A trophy and beat their fierce rivals Inter Milan to first place. Leao's importance to this trophy was highlighted by the fact that he won Serie A player of the season.
However, a deal will not be easy to complete because alongside Arsenal's reported interest, according to Italian news outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, earlier in the season, PSG were also prepared to offer AC Milan £59million to also secure the services of the Portugal international. The Parisian club were also willing to pay the youngster £5million-a-year in order for him to join the club, meaning Arsenal have been given an indication of what it could take to persuade the winger to join the club.
Leao would certainly be a dream signing for the Gunners. Tavares could play a major part in helping Arteta to secure the perfect signing.
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