We’re still waiting for the bigger acquisition(s) to be completed and announced, but Arsenal are still getting some deals over the line in the meantime. Today they announced the official acquisition of Nuno Tavares, 21, from Benfica, on the heels of providing a new contract to young, up-and-coming goallkeeper Arthur Okonkwo yesterday.
The Gunners are reported to be paying £7m for Tavares, a Portugese defender, with a further £2m in potential add-ons. The official picture is below:
Our new No 20 ? pic.twitter.com/18H57Be65v
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 10, 2021
Technical director Edu said: “Nuno is a talented young player who was wanted by a number of clubs across Europe. He will provide strong back-up in the left-back position. We look forward to him growing and developing with us and becoming an important member of the first-team squad.”
Manager Mikel Arteta said: “We welcome Nuno Tavres to the club. He is a young player with great promise who has developed very well with Benfica in recent seasons and has also shown his quality by being part of Portugal Under-21s. Nuno’s arrival will give the squad extra strength and options in defence, particularly with this energy on the left side of the pitch. We look forward to Nuno’s arrival soon, his integration into the Arsenal family and playing in front of our fantastic supporters.”
Tavares is expected to provide cover for the recently newly minted Kieran Tierney at left back. Reaction to this signing is mixed, as many Arsenal fans don’t even know what to feel.
Arsenal fans’ reaction to Tavares signing pic.twitter.com/AJqsfId0m0
— Simpsons Arsenal (@SimpsonsArsenal) June 30, 2021
Once again, as usual, @SimpsonsArsenal really gets it! Tavares will wear No. 20 and join up with the rest of his teammates once he’s completed the required quarantine/isolation protocols involved with traveling to the United Kingdom from abroad.
Arsenal are expected to finalize and announce the arrival of Brighton & Hove Albion central defender Ben White, on a £50m deal, after England has completed their Euro 2020 campaign. We’re also expected to see an extension for Emile Smith Rowe and the acquisition of Anderlecht midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga sooner rather than later. So hey, stuff is happening!
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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