Mikel Arteta finally set to axe Arsenal transfer flop after infamous on-field row

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is now willing to part ways with Nuno Tavares amid interest from Marseille, despite the defender currently being on loan at Nottingham Forest.

The left-back was signed from Benfica for a fee of around £7million in the summer of 2021, but has failed to make the grade at the Emirates. He spent last season on loan with Ligue 1 outfit Marseille, meaning as things stand his only campaign actually spent at his parent club was the 2021/22 edition.

That was littered with more lows than highs for Tavares, who was hooked either before or during half-time on two separate occasions within the space of four months. On one of those occasions, the defender was withdrawn after just 34 minutes during an FA Cup defeat away at Forest.

Tavares did little to hide how furious with Arteta's decision, throwing his gloves to the ground and facing ridicule from the same Forest faithful he now lines up in front of. The Arsenal boss was reluctant to add more fuel to the fire in the immediate aftermath.

"I just did it to try to improve the performance of the team," said the Spaniard. Tavares was the subject of "you're going to cry in a minute" chants from the home fans, but Arteta showed little sympathy when asked if he was aware of the headlines the substitution would create.

"I understand that but I have to make the decision to try to improve the performance of the team when it’s not going in any other direction," he added. Arteta was reluctant to offer up an explanation as to why Tavares was taken off, inisting that he doesn't "want to talk about any individuals."

Tavares clearly is not one to shy away from showing exactly how he feels. Last season, he spent the entire campaign on loan at Marseille, who are the suitors