Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares has hinted at why he wanted to leave Arsenal in the summer transfer window amid competition with Kieran Tierney.
The Gunners allowed the Portuguese defender to join Marseille on a season-long loan deal in the summer after signing Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City in a £35million deal. Tavares struggled to show his true quality after signing from Benfica for £7million last year but is enjoying his time in Ligue 1 so far.
The 22-year-old would have likely been a third-choice left-back for Mikel Arteta this season after the arrival of Zinchenko, but Takehiro Tomiyasu has shown he is capable of filling in as cover when required. Arsenal are enjoying a stellar season and are currently top of the Premier League after nine games, but Tavares has insisted he 'feels good' at Marseille.
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The Gunners defender has revealed he is yet to think about his future beyond this season’s loan spell at Marseille and was keen to include a buy-option in his loan deal to the Ligue 1 outfit, but Arsenal refused to agree to his wish, as per The Metro. Asked about his excellent start to life at Marseille, Tavares said: "I’m good here.
"I feel good here and it shows in the matches. On top of that, Marseille feels very similar to Lisbon: the streets, the city, the climate, the sun.
"I’m not thinking about the future. I live in the present moment, day by day. I have no thoughts [about my future], I’m just keeping my feet on the ground.
"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," Tavares continued. "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 cup. I came to Marseille to play in my position, in the Champions League, in the league and in the cup [competition]. Marseille gave me this opportunity."
Arsenal will be hoping a good season with Marseille could result in a similar impact to that of William Saliba. The French centre-back has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League so far this season and has been crucial in helping the Gunners stay ahead at the top of the table, despite reigning champions Manchester City and north London rivals Tottenham nipping at their heels.
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