West Ham are interested in Arsenal‘s Portugal U21 left-back Nuno Tavares, i understands.
The Hammers have been in negotiations with the Gunners over the British record transfer of Declan Rice but business between the two clubs might not be over.
Arsenal want to cash in on Tavares, who has just rounded off a spell in France with Marseille, as part of a squad overhaul designed to clear space for Rice and other new arrivals to supplement another title tilt.
The French club had investigated turning the loan into a permanent deal during last season but there was no clause included in the agreement struck last summer to facilitate that and he has returned to his parent club.
He scored six times and enjoyed his most productive season as an attacking force as boss Igor Tudor said at one point that he was “good enough to play for Barcelona“.
But there were also reports that he was disciplined and dropped for not trying hard enough in training.
He is currently with Portugal’s richly talented U21 side as they participate in the Euros in Romania and Georgia – and West Ham will get the chance to see him up against England’s best on Sunday.
Tavares played all three group games and is well thought of in the national team set-up.
The player is keen to stay in England if possible. i understands the Hammers are the club who have shown the most interest in Tavares but there has been been contact with other Premier League sides. Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray are also keen.
A fee of £8m has been mooted, even though Tavares has two years left on his contract.
West Ham are in the market for a left-back to challenge Aaron Cresswell, who played 38 times last season and is in the final year of his contract.
What Rice brings to Arsenal’s midfield
By Kat Lucas
The incoming West Ham legend – and he will be remembered as such after bowing out – steps in neatly to compensate for Arteta losing Thomas Partey’s defensive solidity.
Rice made more interceptions than any other Premier League player last season (63) and made 78 tackles (with a success rate of 81 per cent – up from 66 per cent in the previous campaign).
A necessary aid to this Arsenal side’s shape without the ball and with it, no one in England’s top flight won possession as many times as him (334). Since 2017-18, his pass completion has not fallen below 86 per cent over a whole campaign.
That speaks of his evolution from a right-sided centre-back as a youngster. Indeed a move of this significance might well have happened sooner in his career had he not taken so long to shake off that notion of a defender experimenting in midfield in his early years.
At 24 years of age, his attacking output has improved too. Four goals and two assists in 2022-23 was his career best tally even as West Ham struggled domestically. The midfielder was by far their standout performer and was Gareth Southgate’s first choice at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, averaging more passes per game than any other England midfielder.
Exactly how he operates as a deep-lying playmaker could depend on the personnel around him, with Arteta expected to maintain a 4-3-3 system. Jorginho has announced he will stay despite speculation linking him with a transfer away just five months after his arrival, but Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga are among a long list who could be move on.
Read Kat’s full analysis on Arsenal’s new signing here
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/qiy3BMd
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