Forgotten £12m Arsenal star now 'king' of Serie A in remarkable loan transformation

Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares has been hailed as the 'king' of Serie A this season as he enjoys a successful Lazio loan spell that is proving transformative for the player's career.

Still just 24 years old, the Portuguese full-back has been deemed surplus to requirement at the Emirates Stadium since arriving from Benfica in 2021. Tavares has made just 28 Arsenal appearances and spent the last two seasons on loan at Marseille and Nottingham Forest in search of more playing time.

Those loan stints proved a mixed bag but Tavares is now turning heads in Italy with Lazio. The defender completed a season-long loan move to the club in July.

Arsenal loanee is prolific assist machine

A permanent transfer to Lazio had been rumoured during the summer with the Gunners asking for £12 million for their defender, but instead, a loan with an obligation to buy should certain conditions be met was agreed. Since arriving in Italy, Tavares has muscled his way into the starting XI.

He has now started all of Lazio's last five Serie A matches, helping the club to three wins and a draw in those fixtures. The club sit fourth in the league, behind Juventus, Inter and Napoli.

In those outings, Tavares has picked up an impressive five assists as his influence grows. That is a league-leading figure and Portuguese outlet Record has hailed the defender as 'the current king of Serie A' for that tally.

‘I feel good’ - Tavares on Lazio loan

Speaking about his time with Lazio so far, Tavares has said: “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.

“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.”