Arsenal loanee hailed as “King of Assists” who “delivers like no-one else” | OneFootball

An Portuguese report has lavished praise on Nuno Tavares for his exceptional start at Lazio, calling the 24-year-old “the King of Assists” in Serie A.

Loaned from Arsenal for the season, Tavares has racked up a league-leading five assists in his first five appearances.

NUNO DELIVERS LIKE NO ONE ELSE – He adds 5 assists in 5 games for Lazio, being the current king of Serie A in this chapter – Record 8 October 2024

This performance marks a new high for the Portuguese full-back, surpassing his previous best of four assists in an entire season with Benfica during the 2019/20 campaign.

The report highlights how Tavares has become a key creative outlet for Lazio, helping them to third place in Serie A with 13 points after seven matches.

With just three points separating Lazio from leaders Napoli, Tavares’ contributions have been crucial. His assists have come against sides such as AC Milan, where he provided two assists, and Fiorentina, as well as against Torino and Empoli.

Lazio’s social media dubbed him “the Nuno Express” following his latest assist.

TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 29: Nuno Tavares of Lazio battles for possession with Valentino Lazaro of Torino during the Serie A match between Torino and SS Lazio at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on September 29, 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Only Hellas Verona managed to keep him from registering an assist, but Lazio still secured a 2-1 victory in that match.

Tavares himself has expressed satisfaction with his time in Rome so far. “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,” he said recently.

He added, “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.”

Tavares’ statistics underline his impact in Serie A beyond just assists. He is currently ranked second in the league for expected assists (xA) and is among the top 10 for dribbles completed.

TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 29: Nuno Tavares of SS Lazio compete for the ball with Borna Sosa of Torino FC during the Serie match between Torino and Lazio at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on September 29, 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

Despite a few setbacks, such as missing a significant chance against Verona and conceding a penalty against Fiorentina, his overall performances have made him a creative standout in the league.

So much so that Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb has been reflecting on missed opportunities for Atalanta and Inter Milan, who previously came close to signing the 24-year-old.

Atalanta’s interest in Tavares in 2022 fell through due to differences in deal terms, with Arsenal seeking a loan and a €35m valuation, which was beyond Atalanta’s budget.

As a result, Tavares joined Marseille on loan instead.

Marseille’s Portuguese defender Nuno Tavares celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Olympique de Marseille and Toulouse FC at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille on December 29, 2022. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)

In 2023, Inter Milan also explored signing the left-back, but Arsenal’s asking price again proved too high, leading Inter to sign Carlos Augusto instead.

Tavares’ loan deal with Lazio includes an obligation to buy, conditional on achieving specific targets. The clause is likely to be triggered after he reaches a set number of appearances, making a permanent move highly probable given his current form.

If the transfer is completed, Tavares would remain with Lazio until June 2029, with Arsenal set to receive €9 million (£7.6 million) as well as a sell-on clause exceeding 25% of any future sale.

Arsenal paid €8m (£6.7m) for Tavares in 2021.