What happened to the Arsenal outcast 'kicked out of training' who 'annoyed' Mikel Arteta

Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares is still under contract at the Emirates Stadium - even though he hasn't played for the club for nearly two years.

The Portuguese left-back signed from Benfica in the summer of 2021, and was lauded for his attacking qualities.

Tavares scored once and provided an assist in 22 Premier League appearances during his first season at Arsenal.

However, he was phased out of the team towards the end of the campaign amid concerns over his defensive abilities.

French outlet L'Equipe alleged that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff were 'often annoyed' with the defender, and the decision was taken to send him out on loan to Ligue 1 side Marseille in the summer of 2022.

Despite scoring six goals in Ligue 1 last term, it was also reported by French media that Tavares had been sent home from a training session due to 'not making necessary efforts'.

Club manager Ivor Tudor told L'Equipe that a player had been sent back to the dressing room during one of the training sessions, with the same outlet then claiming (via Goal) that the player was Tavares.

The manager did, though, praise the defender for his attacking qualities - and even suggested that he had the talents to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona, underlining the potential that Tavares is considered to have.

Even so, upon his return to the Emirates Stadium last summer, many expected the defender to be sold by Arteta in order to raise funds to strengthen other areas of the squad.

He instead moved to fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest on loan. The Midlands side inserted a future fee option worth £12 million to make the deal permanent.

But the 24-year-old, despite having a regular run in the team around the turn of the year, has been injured since February and has only made seven league appearances.

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The Telegraph report that his future had even been under discussion in the January transfer window as Forest contemplated whether or not to keep Tavares at the club.

However, Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who replaced previous manager Steve Cooper in December, is said to have seen potential in Tavares and gave him a run in the team before his unfortunate injury.

As a result, the Portugal defender could make a permanent move to the City Ground in the summer - although that may be dependent on whether they successfully retain their Premier League status for another season amid a relegation battle.