Gattuso backs ex-Arsenal misfit Nuno Tavares for Real Madrid move: 'He's got everything'

Gennaro Gattuso has made a striking claim about one of Arsenal’s most forgettable recent signings, insisting that Nuno Tavares has the quality to play for Real Madrid. The Lazio manager made the remarks at the weekend, offering a striking reassessment of a defender who became something of a punchline during his time in north London.

Tavares, 26, joined Arsenal from Benfica but managed only 28 appearances for the club and is perhaps best remembered for being substituted after just 34 minutes in an FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest. Manager Mikel Arteta defended the decision at the time, saying it was purely tactical: “We wanted to put another attacking midfielder with Emile in that space and that was the only reason. I’m sorry that it was Nuno again, but we had to do it.”

After leaving Arsenal, Tavares rebuilt his career with a loan spell at Marseille, where he scored six goals in 31 Ligue 1 appearances, before a brief return to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest yielded just 12 outings. He then joined Lazio on loan before signing permanently, and has since made 62 appearances for the Rome club, contributing 11 assists.

It is that form under Gattuso that has prompted the former Italy international to speak so effusively about his player. “I always said that Tavares is worthy of Real Madrid,” Gattuso said. “He feels like someone who lost his parents young, received a big inheritance, and in five years it went up in smoke. This is a player who ought to be at Real Madrid. He’s got everything it takes — he has pace, right foot, left foot.”

Gattuso acknowledged that Tavares requires careful man-management. “After a match he needs his time to recover, but he’s a good lad — you need to get into his head and make him understand. He knows he has talent and could’ve had 10 or 12 years at Real Madrid with his qualities. You’ve just got to get him to understand.”

Arsenal retain a financial interest in their former player’s future. The club inserted a sell-on clause into the deal when Tavares departed permanently in 2025, meaning they would receive a share of any future transfer fee — a detail that gives Gattuso’s lofty praise a tangible edge for those at the Emirates keeping an eye on proceedings.