Forgotten Arsenal star confirms transfer decision as 'priority' made after struggles

Nuno Tavares has opened up on his Arsenal future after spending last season on loan at Nottingham Forest.

The left-back arrived at the Emirates Stadium in July 2021 in a reported £8million deal from Benfica. The Portuguese defender struggled to establish himself in north London, where he spent just one season before joining Marseille on loan in 2022.

Tavares then moved on loan to Forest last term but struggled for game time at the City Ground, making just 12 appearances across all competitions. The 24-year-old's last appearance came in a 2-2 draw against Wolves on April 13.

And now the full-back has had his say on what could come next after opening up in an interview with Sport TV via Noticias ao Minuto.

“My priority is to return to Arsenal. After that, only the future will tell,” he said. "Everyone knows that I have another year left on my Arsenal contract.

"I have people I trust looking after my future. There have been a few approaches, but I always leave it to whoever is in charge of my future.”

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In a recent interview with French media outlet L'Equipe, Tavares spoke positively about his better times with Benfica and Marseille.

"It was the best moment of my career," he said of his time at Marseille. "I got some interesting stats. In France, football is more physical, faster than in Portugal. It's not as competitive as the Premier League, but I really liked French football for its intensity.

"It's always different when a club and a coach trust you, bet on you. Igor Tudor is the coach who placed the most trust in me with Jorge Jesus [at Benfica].

"In Marseille I was happy. I felt a bit like I was in Lisbon. The streets, the people, certain places: in many ways, the two cities are similar and I loved Marseille. The Benfica stadium is prettier but the atmosphere is even stronger, more intense at the Velodrome.

"At Arsenal, I do not know if it was a problem of competition with Kieran Tierney, but for me, that's not even the point. I came to Marseille to finally be able to play in my position.

"When signing with OM, I wanted to have an option to buy, but Arsenal refused. With my agents, we always wanted this purchase option, but Arsenal didn't. Now I'm at OM, and with or without an option, I'm happy. At Arsenal, I would have probably only played in the cup."