Usually, when a footballer is sent out on loan, they struggle to come back and earn a place at their parent club.
Arsenal has several individuals who are in this category, like Hector Bellerin and Lucas Torreira.
Because of that, players will be careful before considering leaving their current clubs, but former Leeds United man, Noel Whelan, believes it could be a different story for Nuno Tavares.
The left-back could leave Arsenal this summer on loan after struggling in his first campaign at the club.
Mikel Arteta’s side has been linked with a move for Aaron Hickey of Bologna, and they are very likely to sign a replacement if Tavares leaves.
However, Whelan believes he can still have a future at the club if he does well outside it.
He tells Football Insider: “Maybe a loan move is best for the player to build his confidence back up as it was a mixed bag of performances. Some were very good, some were very questionable.
“Arteta saw that. He frustrated him at times because he could see what he could do one week then we saw the worst of him the next week, there was no consistency in performances.
“That’s the question mark that hangs over him. If he can put a string of really good performances together at Marseille and shows his ability consistently then he might have an opportunity next season at Arsenal.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Tavares is still a very young player, and it is not smart to give up on him so soon.
We signed the Portugal youth international because the club believed he had potential.
Judging him after just one season makes little sense, and we would probably be smarter to give him another campaign to stay at the Emirates.
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Last season, Tavares was a mixture of very good and very bad, but for the relatively modest fee we paid for him ,the reaction of his critics, including Arteta, has, in my opinion, been way over the top.He has a lot to learn , and his lack of positional sense in particular makes me wonder if he will ever become a reliable defender.His power and pace is such however, that efforts should be made to use him in a more advanced position but the signing of Vieria could well knock that suggestion on the head and result in him being sent out on loan.
Exactly how I see it
He played a good half dozen games and then got caught out in the forest game and his confidence took a big knock .
A few of us mentioned half way through the season that he should be pushed forward or only played in a back 5 where there is more defensive cover .
He as great engine and recovers well but his final ball and shooting needs alot of work ,silly IMO to loan out a player after only one season in a new league .
I believe he’ll get better with time cos defending is not that difficult we just gotta work on his confidence first.he’s potentially world class.
I have not given up on TAVARES as a player, far from it. But as with Bellerin years ago when he still had pace it is obvious, at least to me, and I am surely far from alone, in thinking he will never be a defender, as his natural instinct is to go forward and not mark opponents but to progress the ball.
Play him in midfield or wide midfield and forget about trying to make him a defender of any kind . Just my take.
This kid need a season long loan to soother some of the rough edges.
The raw talent is there just need a little nurturing.
he just needs some coaching-up, which is why I thought we opted for this little managerial experiment in the first place