Arsenal flop told he ‘ought to be at Real Madrid’ as new boss admits ‘you’ve just got to get him to understand’

ARSENAL flop Nuno Tavares is so talented he could have spent a decade at Real Madrid, according to Gennaro Gattuso. Gattuso is aiming to get Tavares’ stop-start career back on track this season after being appointed Lazio boss in June. Nuno Tavares started Lazio’s 2-2 draw with AC Milan on Saturday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Gennaro Gattuso has been talking up Tavares’ talent Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The Portuguese international, 26, was poached by Arsenal as a 21-year-old and played 28 games for the Gunners, scoring once. But his performances were too inconsistent for Mikel Arteta, who sent him on loan to Marseille and Nottingham Forest. Sign up for the Arsenal newsletter Thank you! A third loan, to Lazio, saw Tavares rack up eight assists in his first eight Serie A matches. He then went the rest of the season – and the entirety of the next campaign, having signed for Lazio permanently – without notching another in the league. Now it is down to Gattuso to coax out Tavares’ best stuff. He said: “I always said that Tavares is worthy of Real Madrid. “He’s got everything it takes. He has pace, right foot, left foot. “He is unusual, and 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. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Tavares failed to make the grade at Arsenal Credit: Getty “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.” Tavares, who has already set up one league goal this term, was picked to start against Gattuso’s old club, AC Milan, on Saturday. He played the full 90 minutes as Lazio blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2. Gattuso’s men are still unbeaten with three wins and a draw from the new manager’s first four league games. Comment now