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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