Does Tavares have a future at Arsenal? Outcast defender quizzed on plans after being sent on loan
- Full-back struggled in England
- Has caught the eye in France
- No purchase option in loan deal
WHAT HAPPENED? The Premier League leaders made a point of ensuring that no purchase option was included in the deal that took Tavares to Marseille on a season-long loan agreement. The 22-year-old left-back ultimately failed to prove his worth across a testing debut campaign at Emirates Stadium in 2021-22, with early substitutions becoming an unfortunate theme. Although, he has been able to bounce back and is catching the eye in France, which may yet lead to a place in Portugal’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
WHAT THEY SAID: Quizzed by La Provence on his short and long-term ambition, Tavares kept his cards close to his chest. He said: “The future? I do not think about it. I live in the moment day by day. I have no big goals, I keep my feet on the ground. The World Cup? I don’t really think about it. My only goal is to do a good job at Marseille.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Tavares, who has made 12 appearances for Marseille in the 2022-23 campaign, is tied to a contract at Arsenal that is due to keep him in north London until 2025.
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WHAT NEXT FOR TAVARES? Arsenal have no need for Tavares at the moment, as they sit atop the Premier League table. One of their marquee signings of the summer saw them draft in Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City to compete with Kieran Tierney for regular game time at left-back.