Nuno Tavares

Nuno Tavares was born in Lisbon on January 26, 2000.

Official SS Lazio photo

Nuno Albertino Varela Tavares was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on 26 January 2000. A left-footed defender, he developed through the youth systems of Sporting CP and Casa Pia before joining Benfica, where he made his professional debut.

Tavares established himself in Benfica's first team during the 2020–21 season, making his senior debut in a 4–0 victory over Belenenses SAD in July 2020. His performances attracted the attention of Arsenal, who signed him in the summer of 2021.

His first season in England was his only one with Arsenal's first team. Tavares made 28 Premier League appearances during the 2021–22 campaign, scoring once, but subsequently left the club on a series of loans. In 2022–23, he joined Marseille, where he made 31 Ligue 1 appearances and scored six goals. He then spent the 2023–24 season on loan at Nottingham Forest, although his opportunities were more limited.

In the summer of 2024, Tavares joined Lazio on loan from Arsenal. His arrival provided the Biancocelesti with an attack-minded option at left-back, and he quickly became an important part of the team. His pace and ability to contribute in the final third made him particularly effective going forward, while his performances represented a significant step forward in his career after a difficult period in England. In the first part of the season he was devastating with 8 assists. But physical issues lessened his participation in the second half and Lazio missed out on a European qualification.

After his first season in Rome, Lazio completed his permanent transfer from Arsenal in June 2025, with Tavares signing a contract running until 30 June 2029. He also made his debut for the senior Portugal national team in November 2024.

In 2025-26 he had a positive year under Maurizio Sarri though for a long period he did not see the pitch. However his defensive errors were costly as Lazio lost a derby and the final of Coppa Italia due to his mistakes.

Nuno Tavares is an exceptional left back. He has speed, power, good dribbling skills, but he occasionally falls asleep defensively. That is something he is working on and we hope he can solve.

 Lazio Career

Season	Total appearances	Serie A	Coppa Italia	Europa League
2024-25	30	23	1	6
2025-26	28	23	5	-
Total	58	46	6	6

Sources

Wikipedia