Signed from Benfica last season for £7.2m, Nuno Tavares hasn’t quite performed at the level many expected him to at Arsenal.
Making 28 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners last year, the Portuguese defender picked up one goal and two assists, but those came mostly when Kieran Tierney was out of action.
All of this has led to rumours that Arsenal could end up trying to sign Aaron Hickey from Bologna to rotate with his countryman at the Emirates, pushing the idea that Tavares could be sent elsewhere.
That’s where Atalanta in Italy come in, with Gazzetta Dello Sport stating the player ‘has been elected as a potential heir to Robin Gosens’ by the Serie A side.
In fact, ‘the negotiations with the Gunners have been set up, and there is a possibility of dock it to port, even if the deal is not easy’.
In their eyes, the Arsenal player ‘is the archetype of the perfect Atalantine wing-back’, as he has ‘an exuberance that allows him to run up and down without stopping’.
However, he isn’t perfect just yet, as ‘there is a need for growth from a tactical point of view’, and if this is something Gian Piero Gasperini can teach him, then ‘the leap in quality will almost become a foregone conclusion’.
A three at the back formation ‘seems to go well with his characteristics’, and ‘if the gamble is successful, Atalanta would find the perfect interpreter for their game’.
Since Arsenal ‘don’t seem willing to bet on him’ going forward, the Italians ‘want to take advantage’ of the situation.
