Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares hopes to attract interest from a bigger club despite West Ham United and Galatasaray being keen on him, according to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web.
Tavares, 23, joined the Gunners from Portuguese club Benfica for €8 million in the summer of 2021. He went on to make 28 appearances across competitions for the Premier League giants, helping them keep nine clean sheets and contributing towards three goals.
The left-back joined Olympique Marseille on loan for the 2022-23 season after he fell out of favor at Arsenal following Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival last summer. He had a fruitful stint in France, bagging six goals from 31 Ligue 1 appearances and helping Les Phoceens finish third.
Tavares is now back at the Emirates, where he has a contract until 2025, having completed his spell at Marseille. However, it’s unclear if he has a place in manager Mikel Arteta’s plans for the future, with Kieran Tierney and Zinchenko still at the club.
A departure is thus a strong possibility for the Portugal U21 international this summer. According to the aforementioned source, West Ham and Galatasaray are interested in him. The Gunners, meanwhile, hope to make a hefty profit on him, having slapped a €25 million asking price.
At West Ham, Tavares could usurp Emerson and Aaron Creswell as David Moyes’ first-choice left-back. He could also play in the UEFA Champions League if he joins Galatasaray. However, the defender is waiting for a bigger club to express their interest in him, as per the report.
Arsenal reach agreement to sign Jurrien Timber
Arsenal have already announced the signing of Kai Havertz from Chelsea for a deal worth €75 million. They also have a bid worth €122 million accepted by West Ham for Declan Rice. The Athletic recently reported that the Gunners have reached an agreement over signing Jurrien Timber from Ajax as well.
The north London giants have agreed to pay €40 million plus €5 million in add-ons for Timber. The Netherlands international has thus been given permission to finalize personal terms with the Premier League club. He is expected to undergo a medical in due course before putting pen to paper on a contract.
Timber is thus set to end his nine-year association with Ajax. The center-back made 121 appearances across competitions for the Amsterdam outfit. He also helped them win three trophies, including two Eredivisie titles and the Dutch Cup.
Source: Sportkeeda
