Well, Nuno Tavares is clearly loving life away from Arsenal.
And why wouldn’t he?
The 22-year-old left Arsenal to join Marseille on a season-long loan during the summer transfer window and what a difference a change of scenery can make.
Tavares had a very difficult first season in North London following a £7 million transfer from Benfica last summer, hence why Mikel Arteta and Edu loaned him out.
However, the Portuguese left-back looks a completely different player in France.
Not only has Tavares made his Champions League debut this week in a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, but he’s also scored three times in Ligue 1 already this season which, for a defender, is a fantastic return this early.
His progress hasn’t gone unnoticed by French media.
Quest France have named him as one of the five ‘revelations’ to enter French football this past summer, with the piece claiming that the youngster is ‘revived perfectly in Ligue 1’.
And that, honestly, just about sums it up.
The good news for Arsenal is that unlike with Matteo Guendouzi, the French outfit do not have the option to sign Tavares on a permanent basis once his loan agreement comes to an end.
The player himself revealed that last week, stating that Edu would not agree to that stipulation in a development which indicates that people at London Colney remain fans of him.
And if he continues to play like this is in France, well Arsenal are right to want to keep him.
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