Nuno Tavares has went from Arsenal flop to assist king following his loan switch to Lazio in the summer.
Deemed as surplus to requirements by Mikel Arteta at the Emirates, the left-back is more than making his mark in Serie A.
It is the the third consecutive season that the 24-year-old has been shipped out on loan by the Gunners.
Tavares linked up with Arsenal from Benfica in an £8million deal in 2021, where he featured in 28 matches in all competitions in his opening campaign.
He initially wowed fans with his athleticism when deputising for the injured Kieran Tierney, but his performances soon began to drop.
The Portugal Under-21 international notably threw a strop after being hauled off in the first half of Arsenal’s FA Cup third round defeat at Nottingham Forest, where he angrily tossed his gloves on the floor, before blanking Arteta as he walked off the pitch.
Another poor performance in the 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in April led to Tavares again being taken off – this time at half-time.
And in footage from Arsenal’s Amazon ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries, Arteta was filmed screaming in his face in the dressing room at half-time.
With Arsenal chasing a top four spot and drawing 1-1 at the break, the Spaniard unleashed a heated X-rated rant, where he stood directly in front of Tavares, who failed to close down the cross which led to Jarrod Bowen’s equaliser.
Arteta yelled: “Do you want to play in the Champions League? Do you want to play in the f****** Champions League?”
The decision was then made to send the defender on loan to Marseille, with French media claiming Arteta and his staff had been left ‘annoyed with his behaviour’.
It was Tavares who had the last laugh at the time, as he featured in all six of Marseille’s outings in Europe’s premier competition, while Arsenal were forced to play in the Europa League.
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A loan at Forest followed with the player now at Lazio, where he has finally showcased the talent which saw Arsenal buy him having registered an impressive five league assists.
No other player in Serie A has more assists than the Arsenal loanee so far from the opening seven matches.
Only Gunners winger Bukayo Saka boasts more assists [seven] than Tavares in Europe’s top five leagues this term.
The full-back’s incredible start to the 2024/25 term sees him level with Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, Lamine Yamal, Joao Neves and Alex Baena with five assists.
Having been an unused substitutes in Lazio’s opening two Serie A matches, he has since become one of the club’s key players – starting the last five games to help the Stadio Olimpico outfit sit fourth in the table.
Lazio signed Tavares on loan with an obligation to turn his temporary stay into a permanent switch for around £5m-£6m should certain conditions yet.
And if he carries on his form, it will look to be a bargain for Marco Baroni’s side.
Having played for five different teams in as many years, Tavares has hinted he wishes to remain in the Italian capital – insisting he’s happier than ever.
He told O Jogo: “I feel more and more at home at Lazio. Fortunately, things are going well for me personally and collectively.
“I think we have risen to the challenge and can only think about improving. We still have a long way to go but, for now, the balance is very positive.”
Tavares added: “I feel good watching my team-mates. It’s good to have this understanding with them in this short space of time.
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“We can only improve. I’m very happy to be here.”
But despite Lazio’s gain in Tavares, it is not Arsenal’s loss, who have moved past having a flying full-back in the team.
For Tavares, he will be hoping to continue impressing in his quest to earn a Portugal call-up for the November international break as he awaits his first senior cap.
