What looked like a great deal at the start of the season has become a bit of a nuisance for Marseille, as Arsenal’s Nuno Tavares continues to be a problem for the Ligue 1 side.
The defender arrived in the south of France amid a lot of excitement, with a lot of fans hoping he could mimic William Saliba, who developed hugely over the course of his loan.
However, despite an impressive first half of the campaign, the Arsenal man has quickly seen his stock diminish by the week at Marseille, to the point where every bit of information that comes out about him appears to be negative.
L’Equipe are the latest to bring some to the fore on Tuesday, looking at how Issa Kaboré, on loan from Manchester City, has started to impress over the past few games.
The right-back has ‘better understood’ what Igor Tudor wants from his players, and the question is asked whether he could become more than ‘an alternative’ for the Croatian manager.
The French newspaper state ‘it’s not impossible’, especially since Arsenal’s Tavares, who is ‘promised to return’ to the Gunners at the end of the season, ‘still annoys the staff with his efforts’ and apparent inability to consistently follow instructions.
The issue with all this would be pushing Jonathan Clauss to the left-hand side of the defence more permanently, which might not be best for all involved.
Either way, the fact Tavares was left on the bench in the 3-1 win over Troyes says a lot about his situation at Marseille, and that his loan isn’t ending in the same manner as Saliba’s.