Arsenal loan star Nuno Tavares good enough to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona, claims Marseille head coach

Marseille head coach Igor Tudor believes Arsenal’s on-loan defender Nuno Tavares is good enough to play for Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester City.

Tavares joined Arsenal in an £8 million deal from Benfica in 2021 and went on to make 28 appearances in his first season with the Gunners.

However, the 23-year-old struggled to secure a regular role in the side and Mikel Arteta gave the green light for the full-back to join Marseille on loan last summer.

The Portugal Under-21 international has impressed during his loan spell this term, scoring six goals which has helped Marseille sit second behind Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1.

And Tudor believes Tavares is capable of going on to play at the highest level.

‘He is a boy who is still young,’ said Tudor.

‘He has high level physical qualities. He has extraordinary explosiveness.

‘He could play at Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester City.

‘There are other things he needs to improve. He must progress, we often talk. There’s always room for improvement, we’re here to help. We make him see concrete things to improve.

‘He has always been important to us even if he has not had continuity. He is still participating, he is an important player for us. As I always say, we hope he will help us in the last ten games.

‘He is a player who, when he is in good shape, can change things. He can make a difference.’