Noel Whelan has backed Nuno Tavares to return to Arsenal from his loan spell as a much-improved player.
The Portugal under21 international left the Emirates in the last transfer window for a temporary spell at Olympique Marseille.
The French club has been a happy place for most Arsenal players recently.
William Saliba spent the last campaign on loan there and he developed his game further and became one of the top players around.
He has returned to help reshape the Arsenal defence and make it harder to score against.
Former Leeds United man, Whelan, believes Tavares will follow the same blueprint and return as a much better player.
He tells Football Insider:
“He’s shown real professionalism by going out there and putting in performances and scoring goals straight away.
“Arsenal have sent him out to give him the progression he needs and give him the belief and confidence in his own performances. That seems to be coming to fruition.
“The only hope when you send a player out on loan is that he knuckles down, works hard – and comes back to the club in a better place, just like Saliba did.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Tavares has made an excellent start to life in France, which proves the decision to allow him to join OM was a good one.
He is getting the regular minutes he needs, and he is taking his chance to impress.
I NEVER WANTED Tavares to leave on loan , though it DOES seem to be helping him
I hope and want to believe he will return as a better player. I always saw his talent, BUT still think he is not a natural defender.
BTW, many others across football, who play in defence, are also NOT natural defenders, which is why so many defences these days are poor by comparison with say twenty years ago , before non capable so called defenders played as wing backs.
The art of true defending is far rarer these days than back then and, though I am all for top defenders having attacking qualites too, first and foremost I always want defenders to be QUALITY defenders, which is their prime responsibility.
We have not had more effective pure defenders as full backs than Dixon and Winterburn IMO, though neither had great attacking qualities. But WHAT great defenders!
Totally agree on Dixon and Winterburn who was unlucky not to get more caps
Im still expecting him to leave, Arteta doesnt fancy an out and out wing back, he prefers an inverted full back allowing the midfielders to push forward and play through the channels.
Many people do not realise the pressure to play for l’OM.this is the perfect environment for the young players to learn how to live with the pressure and expectations to perform/win, CL football experience…Allez Marsenal!!