Arsenal player wants to stay despite Edu closing in on £35m replacement

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Nuno Tavares is reportedly keen to stay at Arsenal this summer despite the club closing in on Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez, who will likely replace the Portuguese fullback next season.

According to the Athletic, the 2021 signing is eager to remain in north London for the summer, with Tavares seemingly keen to fight for his spot in the squad despite reports of Tavares heading out on loan and Arsenal launching a new assault to sign Martinez.

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As per the Athletic, Arsenal have made a second offer for the Argentine international in the range of €40m (£35m), with the Gunners keen to flesh out their defensive options for next season. Martinez is naturally a left-sided centre-back but is capable of playing at both left-back and defensive midfield.

Whilst Kieren Tierney is expected to retain his starting left-back spot in the starting XI next season, the defender’s injury record means Martinez is more than likely to feature for Arsenal for multiple games should he join the Premier League side this summer, meaning Tavares is surplus to requirements.

This is why talk of a loan move has emerged despite the defender’s willingness to stay at the Emirates Stadium, with numerous European clubs already registering an interest in Tavares as many fans and pundits expect the Arsenal man to leave for the season.

Indeed, Tavares had a mixed first year in England, with his performances towards the end of the season drawing many criticisms from supporters, and a loan move to a top side in Europe could be useful for the 22-year-old’s development for the next campaign.

Tavares will only be ruining his career if he stays at Arsenal

Playing regular football at a young age is one of the biggest routes to success for any aspiring player, and for Tavares, staying at Arsenal next season despite a replacement potentially coming will only ruin the defender’s promising career.

Tavares has shown glimpses of what he can become with the right development in the right areas, and a loan move to a European or Premier League side will be perfect for the Portuguese youth international given what Mikel Arteta’s plans for next season seem to be.