Nottingham Forest are now hopeful of concluding a deal to sign Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares. The clock is ticking for the Reds in their quest to land another left-back and they’re now hopeful over the Portuguese youngster.
According to the Daily Mail, Tavares is back on the City Ground radar as Steve Cooper looks to finalise his squad before the transfer deadline on Friday night. The club had been locked in talks with the 23-year-old but Aston Villa came into the discussion.
Tavares has been with Arsenal since joining from Benfica in 2021. He’s struggled for regular game time at the Emirates Stadium and Mikel Arteta is open to selling the player during the current window if the price is right for the Gunners.
Forest are in the market for another left-back. Ola Aina has played two of the club’s three Premier League games in that position but he’s perhaps viewed as a utility option his season and not has someone who can nail down the position.
The Reds were stunned earlier in the summer when Renan Lodi was signed by Marseille, despite interest from Forest. He’s replaced Tavares coincidentally, who spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with the Ligue 1 outfit, scoring six goals.
Forest hopeful over deal for Arsenal defender Tavares
This would be a decent addition to the ranks but the price would need to be right. Earlier this summer it was claimed that the Tavares would cost around £30 million and it seems very unlikely that Forest will be stretching that far.
Tavares has been capped by the Portugal under-21 outfit. He will hope that by leaving Arsenal this summer, he can force his way into contention with the senior national team and get himself his first cap at that level.
Forest will hope to get some more business concluded this week. With Brennan Johnson looking likely to leave in a deal worth around £50 million, the Reds could now have a bit of room to manoeuvre on the financial side of things.
Tavares would certainly help Forest on the left. If Cooper thinks he can do a job then the fan base must trust the club’s instinct and hope that he can hit the ground running on Trentside.
