Arsenal flop who was banished after 'annoying' Mikel Arteta is now flying at his new club
An Arsenal flop who was banished after 'annoying' Mikel Arteta is now enjoying a great stint away from the Emirates.
Ahead of the new season, Arsenal signed Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Moreno, Raheem Sterling, Neto, and David Raya.
The club also trimmed their squad, letting go the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Aaron Ramsdale and Reiss Nelson.
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Not to mention Nuno Tavares, who joined Lazio on loan for the season, with an obligation to buy if certain conditions were met.
And Tavares has enjoyed a blistering start to the new campaign, having registered five assists for Lazio and has been one of the best performers in Italy.
The Portuguese full-back even has more goal involvements (5) than Rafael Leao this season, with the AC Milan star weighing in with one goal and three assists.
Per Sofascore, Tavares' average rating in Italy stands at 7.34.
A big improvement from his average rating (6.73) from last season, where he was on loan at Nottingham Forest.
Tavares joined Arsenal from Benfica in the summer of 2021 on a long-term contract in a transfer worth around £8 million.
He played 28 games for the club in the 2021/22 season before being shipped out on loan after 'annoying' Arteta.
The Gunners manager and his staff were 'often annoyed with his behaviour'.
Ajax were briefly linked with the player's services before he signed for Lazio.
He feels at home in Rome and is enjoying his football in Italy's top flight.
"I feel more and more at home here in Lazio. Fortunately, things are going well on a personal and collective level. We still have a long way to go, but for now the balance is very positive," he said.
"I feel good watching my teammates. It’s good to already have this understanding with them in such a short period of time. We can only get better. I’m happy to be here."
Nasir Jabbar