Arsenal reject Nuno Tavares ‘should be playing for Real Madrid’. That’s according to his manager at Lazio, Gennaro Gattuso, who says the left-back has got ‘everything’ to make him an elite footballer. Tavares is rebuilding his career in the Italian capital after a disappointing spell at Arsenal, where he was on the books between 2021 and 2025. The Portuguese, 26, joined Arsenal from Benfica for £8million in 2021 but was only a bit-part player there in his first season before loans out at Marseille, Nottingham Forest, and Lazio.He finally joined Lazio permanently last year and has helped them enjoy an unbeaten start to the season which sees them sit top of Serie A after four games. Gattuso said: ‘I always said that Tavares is worthy of Real Madrid. Arsenal reject Nuno Tavares, now at Napoli, ‘should be playing for Real Madrid’ according to his manager Gennaro Gattuso Tavares, 26, signed for Arsenal in 2021 with high hopes but was only a bit-part player before being farmed out on loan three times ‘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.’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.’Those are alien words to Gunners supporters, who did not see the best of Tavares during his stint with the club. He was the classic case of the high-potential youngster who never quite got going, and L’Equipe reported that Mikel Arteta was ‘often annoyed with his behaviour’.That led to him being sent on loan to Marseille in 2022-23, but there he was kicked out of training by manager Igor Tudor for a lack of effort. He was also sent off for a straight red card against Montpellier which was branded ‘absolutely stupid’ and ‘completely unnecessary’ by BT Sport commentator Paul Dempsey. Tavares had a good record at Marseille, racking up six goals, but soured relations with his parent club Arsenal when he publicly criticised them.’At Arsenal, I do not know if it was a problem of competition with Kieran Tierney, but for me, that’s not even the point,’ he said. ‘I came to Marseille to finally be able to play in my position. When signing with OM, I wanted to have an option to buy, but Arsenal refused. ‘With my agents, we always wanted this purchase option, but Arsenal didn’t.’Now I’m at OM, and with or without an option, I’m happy. At Arsenal, I would have probably only played in the cup.’I came to Marseille to play in my position, in the Champions League, in the league and in the cup [competition]. Marseille gave me this opportunity.’