Arsenal 'plan to sell player' who has 'annoyed' Mikel Arteta and 'frustrated coaching staff'

Arsenal plan to sell left-back Nuno Tavares this summer, according to a new report - months after it was claimed that he 'annoyed' manager Mikel Arteta in training.

The Portuguese defender has spent the season on loan at French club Marseille, where he has praised for his attacking output and quality.

But he hasn't scored since February, keeping his league goal tally at six for the season - and he has been criticised for defensive errors.

Speaking in March, former Marseille left-back Eric Di Meco told French outlet Maxifoot: "The big problem with him, and I had identified it from his first games, is that he has too big defensive gaps to be a defender.

"I didn't see him progress even though he had a lot of playing time, and he came on loan from Arsenal for that, like [William] Saliba who became an international at OM.

"He still has the same faults and the same qualities as at the start of the season, and when the level rises a notch like against PSG, Tottenham or Frankfurt, he disappears. He is annoying lately."

Di Meco did, however, point to the 23-year-old's 'great potential', and that he has plenty of time to improve.

But it appears that his future development may not take place at Arsenal.

Tavares 'likely to leave Arsenal'

According to The Times, Tavares is one of a number of players that the Gunners plan to sell in order to fund a summer spending spree.

The Portuguese left-back was signed from Benfica in the summer of 2021, and made 22 Premier League appearances under Arteta, but he struggled defensively.

French outlet L'Equipe claimed that the Spaniard and his coaching staff were 'often annoyed with his behaviour'

often annoyed with his behaviour’, hence the decision to allow him to depart on loan.

And the same outlet alleged last month (via talkSPORT) that Tavares has 'annoyed the [Marseille] staff with his efforts' whilst out on loan, and is unable to consistently follow instructions.

Manager Ivor Tudor told L'Equipe in the same month that a player had been sent back to the dressing room during one of the first team's training sessions due to a lack of effort, with the same outlet later claiming (via Goal) that Tavares was the player in question.