Arsenal and Nottingham Forest open talks for Nuno Tavares

Arsenal and Nottingham Forest could soon complete another piece of business after arranging Matt Turner’s switch to the City Ground.

The 32-year-old goalkeeper has joined Steve Cooper’s squad as an emergency signing after the Tricky Trees failed to keep hold of Dean Henderson and Keylor Navas.

Both keepers have returned to their parent clubs this summer, leaving Forest with the ex-Club Brugge star Ethan Horvath as the only senior option between the sticks.

Turner made his Premier League debut for his new side against non-other than Arsenal last weekend, with the Gunners pulling off a 2-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Immediately after the game, Cooper went public to urge the City Ground hierarchy to reinforce his squad as the West Bridgford outfit brace themselves for another season-long fight against relegation.

Cooper’s plea could soon bear fruit. According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Forest and Arsenal have opened talks for Nuno Tavares’ switch to East Midlands.

While the famous transfer guru failed to reveal the figures, his update claims the Tricky Trees have submitted a formal offer for the 23-year-old full-back.

Here’s Why Nottingham Forest Need Tavares

Forest massively relied on Renan Lodi last season, but they couldn’t negotiate his permanent stay this summer.

The Brazilian left-back made 28 Premier League appearances for Cooper’s team in 2022/23, playing a massive role in their successful run to survival.

However, the former Atletico Madrid defender has embarked on a new chapter in Ligue 1, taking Tavares’ place at Olympique Marseille.

Cooper has signed Ola Aina from Torino in response to Lodi’s departure.

Aina is no stranger to the Premier League, having been under contract with Chelsea for four years before spending the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Fulham.

Like many other football managers today, Cooper prefers a 3-5-2 formation, a tactical set-up that heavily requires reliable full-backs.

Unfortunately for the Forest boss, Aina is his only dependable option on the left flank, considering former Bayern Munich starlet Omar Richards is still on the sidelines with recurring fitness problems.

Richards joined the Tricky Trees last summer, but he has yet to make his Premier League debut, with numerous injury setbacks keeping him in the treatment room for almost a year.

FootballToday.com and FootballTransfers.com both contend that Arsenal need to sell to buy reinforcements, and Arteta will be happy to cash in on Tavares.

Arsenal Keen to Sell

Arsenal forked out £8 million to lure Tavares away from Benfica in 2021 following the Portuguese youngster’s impressive senior breakthrough at the Estadio do Dragao.

Despite his relatively young age, he enjoyed plenty of game time in his maiden season in London, taking advantage of Kieran Tierney’s proneness to injuries to earn Mikel Arteta’s trust.

But after making 28 competitive appearances for the Gunners, including 22 in the Premier League, Tavares left England for a season-long loan at Marseille last summer.

Former Les Olympiens coach Igor Tudor turned the talented full-back into one of the division’s best-performing defenders, handing him 31 Ligue 1 outings.

Tavares repaid that confidence with six goals, but his hot-headed nature cost him a career at the Stade Velodrome.

His return to Arsenal is only temporary, with Arteta reluctant to give him another bite of the apple despite Jurrien Timber’s injury.

The Dutch defender sustained a dreadful knee injury on his Premier League debut against Forest and could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Not even his long-term absence won’t improve Tavares’ chances of returning within Arteta’s good grace, with the Gunners gaffer seeking a quick resolution to his unsettled star’s future.

Arteta sees Tavares’ departure as a necessity to bolster the club’s finances following a stunning recruitment campaign that has seen Arsenal splash out over £200m over the summer.

In addition to Timber, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz have landed at the Emirates.

Now it’s fundraising time in north London.