Unless a loan move is simply seen as a way of getting a player closer towards a permanent exit, then you do need to trust a club to look after your asset and develop them properly.
That’s why you often see clubs dealing with each other time and time again in the loan market, and another Arsenal player now looks set for a loan move to Marseille.
In the case of Matteo Guendouzi, that was simply a player that Mikel Arteta didn’t want and it turned into a permanent exit, but they did develop William Saliba to the point where he’s now seen as a viable first-team option for the Gunners.
Time will tell what direction Nuno Tavares will go in, but it now looks like it’s just a medical and final details between him and that loan move to the south of France:
Marseille a good move for Tavares. Big club, intense fanbase. Pressure to perform. Could be an excellent learning curve for him (as it was for Saliba).
Arsenal expecting the season-long loan to go through, medical and final details permitting.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) July 28, 2022
There’s no mention of any kind of option or obligation to buy so the long-term plan will still be to see the pacey defender develop into a player that Arsenal can use going forward, but this does look like a move that will allow him to show how good he can be.
It’s worth remembering that he was never an established starter at Benfica before moving to Arsenal, so if he can start 30+ league games then it would be huge for his development, regardless of what happens next.