Which defender has the most goals in the top five leagues? Nuno Tavares who surely will be back at Arsenal next season!
It may seem like an oxymoron, but it is a reality. Nuno Tavares, who never adapted to the Premier League and left on loan from Arsenal, stands out in Ligue 1 and Marseille, being the best of his kind in the top five leagues!
1.5 year ago, Arsenal acquired Nuno Tavares from Portugal on a regular transfer, as a key member of the rotation and a full-back with excellent potential to be Kieran Tierney’s back-up.
The goal of course was to adapt to the English conditions and to win a place in the “gunners” roster, with Mikel Arteta knowing that the Scot often gets injured and is used to missing about 1/3 of the season, during which plays in the Premier League.
It quickly became apparent that Tavares wasn’t ready, having wild fluctuations in his performance. He was never stable, he had serious problems defensively and in general in the tactical part, he stood out for his physical qualities, but he also seemed to be under a lot of psychological pressure, a fact that became clear from “All or nothing” – the Arsenal documentary – in which the Portuguese has an appointment with the team psychologist to discuss being alone most of the day.
The best decision for both sides was to go their separate ways, but without Arsenal selling Tavares, believing strongly that a full-back with such physical qualities might prove useful in the future.
He left on loan at Marseille and is by far France’s best left-back at the moment. He scored six goals in 20 appearances, having managed to be the only defender in the top five leagues to score 6+ goals in an entire season, in all competitions!
https://twitter.com/VipArsenal/status/1627419437367271425
Hopefully, he found the back of the net against Toulouse for the second time this season and as oxymoronic as it may sound, compared to his performance last year, Tavares is earning a place in Arsenal’s summer training camp with his performances.
After all, you can’t not give a chance to the leading – defender – scorer in the whole of Europe… Especially if you are Mikel Arteta, who suggested his acquisition!
Dimitris Manakos
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