Tavares: "I’m Feeling More Comfortable At Lazio. Thankfully, Things Are Going Well For Me And The Team. We’ve Faced Challenges, But We’re Focused On Improving."

Nuno Tavares has expressed his happiness despite spending much of his Arsenal career on loan. The 24-year-old left-back started his professional journey at Benfica, where he joined the B team in 2018 before being promoted to the first team in 2019. After making an impression in 41 Primeira Liga matches, Arsenal signed him in 2021 for £7 million.

However, his time at Arsenal hasn't gone as expected, with Tavares making only 28 appearances under Mikel Arteta over three years and spending much of his time on loan to gain experience.

In the 2022-23 season, he was loaned to Marseille, playing 39 matches under coach Igor Tudor. The following season, he joined Nottingham Forest on loan for 2023/24. Currently, Tavares is enjoying a loan spell at Lazio under Marco Baroni, where he has provided five assists in five matches.

Rather than feeling discouraged by frequent loans, Tavares is relishing the opportunity to play for various European clubs. He has even suggested he's in no hurry to return to Arsenal.

Speaking to O Jogo, Tavares said, "I’m feeling more comfortable at Lazio. Thankfully, things are going well for me and the team. We’ve faced challenges, but we’re focused on improving."

He added, "It feels great to see my teammates, and to have built this connection with them so quickly. We can only keep getting better. I’m very happy here."

With five assists in five games, Tavares has earned the nickname "assist king" in the Portuguese press. Arsenal's decision to loan him out again may turn out to be a costly one, especially as Lazio have a mandatory £4.1 million buy-out clause if certain conditions are met. Given Arsenal's initial investment was around £3 million more, it could lead to a financial setback for the club, particularly considering Tavares' impressive growth since joining in 2021.

Lazio currently sits fourth in Serie A after seven matches, with four wins, one loss, and two draws. They are just three points behind leaders Napoli.