Nuno Tavares has been sensational for Marseille since making the season-long loan move from Arsenal in the summer transfer window. And the youngster has a great chance to showcase his ability on the biggest stage on Wednesday evening.
Marseille are set to go head-to-head with the Gunners' local rivals Spurs in the opening Champions League group stage match of the season. After Tavares’ impressive start to life in France, it seems likely he will start the match.
It will be a perfect opportunity for Mikel Arteta to analyse the progression of the Portuguese defender, as he will be coming up against top Premier League opposition. It could also play a major part in raising his price tag if the Gunners’ boss still deems him surplus to requirements next summer.
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Tavares recently opened up about his loan move to Marseille and revealed that he wanted an option to join them permanently at the end of his loan spell with the Ligue 1 outfit, but the Gunners refused, as per the Evening Standard.
Speaking to RMC Sport, Tavares said: "At Arsenal, I do not know if it was a problem of competition with Kieran Tierney, but for me that’s not even the point.
"I came to Marseille to finally be able to play in my position. When signing with OM, I wanted to have an option to buy, but Arsenal refused. With my agents, we always wanted this purchase option, but Arsenal didn't.
"Now I'm at OM, and with or without an option, I'm happy. At Arsenal, I would have probably only played in the [FA Cup and EFL Cup]."
Tavares had large spells where he played in the Premier League in the previous campaign, however, he was always regarded as a back-up to Kieran Tierney as despite the youngster hitting good form during a point in the season, he was unable to progress due to the Scotsman taking his place whenever he was available for selection.
There was a stage during the early part of last season where his performances had been so good that the supporters were calling for him to take Tierney’s spot in Arteta’s starting XI. His energy up and down the left-hand side was a breath of fresh air for Arsenal and his presence had a contagious feel amongst the squad.
However, towards the end of the campaign, the youngsters’ form took a major dip and his defensive frailties started to become exposed. It showed that he has a lot of learning to do before starting at full-back for a team who are competing for a Champions League spot in the Premier League.
But, at Marseille he can showcase his progression in the Champions League and come back a better player with good performances in Ligue 1, similar to William Saliba in the previous campaign.
The fixture against Spurs on Wednesday is a perfect audition opportunity for Tavares. A solid performance will go a long way to changing the outlook on the defender.
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