Arsenal see potential transfer fall through after side confirm replacement

Arsenal have seen Marseille shut down any rumours of a permanent move for defender Nuno Tavares this week after the French side were revealed to be in the closing stages of completing a deal for Atletico Madrid defender Renan Lodi.

The Gunners want to cash in on Tavares just two years after his arrival, it has been reported.

The Portuguese defender arrived from Benfica for a fee of £7m in 2021 but suffered a tough first season in the Premier League.

Despite some bright moments, he was twice substituted before the second half began and offered performances littered with mistakes that blurred his raw talent.

He was sent out on loan to Olympique Marseilles in the summer after the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko saw him pushed further down the pecking order.

However, a bright start to his temporary stint in Ligue 1 fizzled out and he started just one of the last 8 league games for the French side.

And as a result, it was widely assumed that Tavares would not be picked up permanently by the French club, even for the measly £8m that Arsenal were offering him for.

Now, that has been all but confirmed.

As per Fabrizio Romano, the French side are in the latter stages of finalising a deal for Lodi, who spent last season on loan with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

The Brazilian, who also plays at left-back, is on the verge of completing a 13m euro move to Marseille, where he will sign a five year contract, effectively ending any hopes of Tavares making a return to the Stade Velodrome.

West Ham are one of the sides keen on the Portuguese U21 star as they look to find cover for Emerson Palmeiri and the ageing Aaron Cresswell.

Turkish side Galatasaray have also expressed an interest, but the defender is ‘keen to stay in England if possible’.

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