Arsenal complete the signing of Nuno Tavares

Arsenal complete the signing of left-back Nuno Tavares from Benfica. Arteta hails the player as very promising.

Manafa of Sporting Lisbon and Nuno Tavares of Benfica
Manafa of Sporting Lisbon and Nuno Tavares of Benfica / IMAGO

Arsenal have completed the signing of Nuno Tavares from Benfica on a long term contract.

The Gunners have confirmed the signing on their official website, and the 21-year-old is expected to compete with Kieran Tierney for the starting left-back position next season.

It is no secret that Arsenal needed to add more depth to their defensive positions, and the young defender could prove to be a quality long term investment for them.

Tavares has done well for Benfica this past season, and he has the potential to develop into a quality player for the Gunners in future. If he manages to fulfil his potential with the Londoners, his signing could prove to be a significant bargain.

The Gunners paid £6.8m for the defender. 

The 21-year-old defender can operate as a full-back and a winger because of his qualities going forward, and his versatility could prove to be quite useful for the London club during injuries and rotation.

The player will be desperate to prove his qualities in England, and it remains to be seen whether he can adapt to the Premier League quickly and make an immediate impact next year.

Club director Edu confirmed that several clubs across Europe wanted to sign the talented young defender. Manager Mikel Arteta has also heaped praise on his new signing claiming that Tavares is a player with great promise.

 Technical director Edu said: “Nuno is a talented young player who was wanted by several clubs across Europe. He will provide a strong backup in the left-back position. We look forward to him growing and developing with us and becoming an important member of the first-team squad.”

Manager Mikel Arteta said: “We welcome Nuno to the club. He is a young player with great promise who has developed very well with Benfica in recent seasons and has also shown his quality by being part of Portugal Under-21s. Nuno’s arrival will give the squad extra strength and options in defence, particularly with this energy on the left side of the pitch.

We look forward to Nuno’s arrival soon, his integration into the Arsenal family and playing in front of our fantastic supporters.”