Turkish Giants Raise Their Offer for Lazio Full-Back; Deadline-Day Profit for Arsenal? | OneFootball

Besiktas have reportedly revived their interest in Lazio left-back Nuno Tavares, whom they have been pursuing since the start of the January transfer window.

The Background

After making the move from Arsenal in the summer of 2024, the full-back enjoyed a delightful start to his Serie A experience, producing eight assists in as many matches. His momentum was later halted by a series of muscle injuries, while this season, he has struggled to adapt to Maurizio Sarri’s play style, which is more defensive and systematic compared to Marco Baroni’s.

Nuno Tavares Lost his Prominence at Lazio

The Portuguese has been leapfrogged by Luca Pellegrini in Sarri’s pecking order, so he’s been linked with a mid-season exit over the past few weeks. Tavares had attracted interest from Sergio Conceicao’s Al-Ittihad, while Cesc Fabregas confirmed he was one of the options for Como at one point during the window. Nevertheless, Besiktas has always been his staunchest admirer.

Besiktas Launch an Improved Offer for Tavares

According to several sources in the Italian press, including Alfredo Pedullà, the Turkish giants have raised their offer for Tavares to €14 million. Istanbul-based club had initially proposed a fixed transfer fee of €10 million in addition to bonuses, while Lazio were holding out for €15 million.

Nuno Tavares (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

With the two clubs bridging the gap, it remains to be seen if an accord can be found in time. It should be noted that, while the transfer market in Italy will close on Monday evening (19:00 CET), the Turkish clubs can still recruit new players until February 6. Therefore, this saga could drag on for a few more days.

Arsenal Eyeing Tavares Windfall

In July 2024, Arsenal agreed to sell Tavares to Lazio on a relatively low fee (circa €6 million), but they made sure to add a significant sell-on fee on a future resale, estimated between 35% and 40%. Therefore, the player’s move to Turkiye would yield a decent boost for the North Londoners’ coffers.

How Would Lazio Replace Tavares

If Lazio were to sell Tavares, they might not have the opportunity to bring in a replacement. Nevertheless, Sarri could simply reinstate his old pupil Elseid Hysaj into his plans. The Albanian can serve as an understudy for Pellegrini, while awaiting the arrival of Villarreal’s Alfonso Pedraza, who has already agreed to join the Biancocelesti on a free transfer in July.