The future of Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares may be set to become a little complicated.
Italian outlet Fanta Calcio reported last week that Arsenal signing Aaron Hickey from Bologna defender Aaron Hickey was a ‘done deal’.
And that, if true, has major implications on Tavares in North London.
The Gunners brought the former Benfica livewire to the Emirates Stadium last summer in a £7 million deal.
But despite a promising start to life under Mikel Arteta, Tavares swiftly demonstrated that he was nowhere near as good as Kieran Tierney, the club’s primary left-back.
Problem is, Hickey would replace Tavares as Arteta’s second-choice option for that position and then it would ask a lot of questions of the Portuguese 22-year-old.
He is by no means a bad player, and heaven knows he showed what an attacking outlet he can be this past season.
But defensively, he inspires zero confidence whatsoever and it makes you wonder if Arsenal could cash in on him this summer.
The player himself won’t taken kindly to being third in line to start at left-back and he could even push for a transfer away, himself.
At 22, he’s still very young, but that’s the point.
Tavares hasn’t even finished developing yet. He’s going to need regular football and if Hickey comes in from Bologna, well that becomes extremely unlikely.
Well, at Arsenal at least.
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