Arsenal can’t let West Ham buy our promising defender on the cheap
West Ham interested in Arsenal defender
West Ham United have reportedly shown interest in signing Arsenal’s Portugal U21 left-back, Nuno Tavares. The Hammers, who have been in negotiations with the Gunners for the transfer of Declan Rice, are now exploring the possibility of securing Tavares as part of their squad overhaul.
Arsenal are looking to offload Tavares as they aim to make room for new arrivals, including Rice, to strengthen their team for an upcoming title challenge.
Exclusive: West Ham are interested in signing Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares to provide some competition for Aaron Cresswell
[@MsiDouglas]— Z (@ZRAFC) June 29, 2023
The left back recently completed a loan spell with Marseille in France, where he impressed with six goals and his attacking prowess caught the attention of the club’s boss, Igor Tudor, who even compared him to Barcelona caliber.
However, there were also reports of disciplinary issues and a lack of effort in training, which led to his exclusion from the squad on occasion. Despite this, the Gunners man is currently representing Portugal’s U21 side in the European Championship and has been regarded highly within the national team setup.
????? #Galatasaray want to SIGN Nuno #Tavares.
They believe that his value would DOUBLE or even TRIPLE out in Türkiye.
Hence, they want to sign him permanently. Arsenal demand €10-15m
[@fanatikcomtr] #afc #arsenal #cimbom pic.twitter.com/2e1wgGyW01
— Arsenal Loan Watch (@arsenal_loans) June 27, 2023
The player is keen to continue his career in England, and West Ham appears to be the club showing the most interest in his services. While Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray are also thought to be keen on the former Benfica man, the Hammers are leading the race.
A potential fee of £8 million has been suggested, despite Tavares having two years remaining on his contract.
West Ham are in need of a left-back to provide competition for Aaron Cresswell, who played 38 games last season and has entered the final year of his contract. The Hammers will have the opportunity to observe Tavares in action against England’s best in the upcoming match on Sunday in the U21 Euro Championships.
But if we do let him leave for £8 million, I think it will be bad business from the North London outfit. Despite being raw, the youngster has already shown a lot of instances about his excellent calibre.
He has also thoroughly impressed in England and France in his last two seasons and letting him go at such a meager price would be a blow.
