Marseille are reportedly pushing to re-sign Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares on a permanent deal before Thursday's transfer deadline.
After falling below Oleksandr Zinchenko in the Emirates pecking order, Tavares spent the 2022-23 season on loan with Les Olympiens, hitting the ground running with an unforeseen glut of early goals.
Tavares - playing in his favoured left wing-back position - struck three goals in his first four Ligue 1 games for Marseille, while he also played the full 90 minutes in each of their six Champions League group fixtures.
The Portugal Under-21 international departed the Orange Velodrome with a total of six goals from 39 matches in all tournaments, although his time at Marseille was slightly blighted by alleged concerns over his attitude from then-manager Igor Tudor.
Rather than re-integrating Tavares into the Arsenal squad, Mikel Arteta sanctioned another loan departure to Nottingham Forest for the left-back, but he has only been a peripheral figure for the Tricky Trees thus far.
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The former Benfica protege has played just seven times for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, although he has played a more prominent role under the new manager than Steve Cooper, starting each of their last three games in all tournaments.
Either side of FA Cup starts against Blackpool and Nottingham Forest, Tavares completed the full 90 minutes in a 3-2 Premier League loss to Brentford, his first full match in a Garibaldi jersey.
Forest do not possess an option or obligation to make Tavares's stay permanent, meaning that the 24-year-old is due to return to Arsenal - where his contract expires in 2025 - this summer.
However, journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Marseille still harbour hope of bringing Tavares back to France for good before the winter window slams shut, and Arsenal are willing to let him leave permanently.
Marseille are in the market for a new left-back after selling Renan Lodi to Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal, but the French side have hit a sizeable roadblock in their efforts to reunite with Tavares.
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Romano adds that Nottingham Forest intend to keep hold of Tavares for the remainder of the season, and Arsenal do not have the option to recall the defender from the City Ground this month.
Unless Forest have a change of heart, Marseille will therefore have to wait until the summer to enter discussions for the defender, whom Arsenal will likely look to offload ahead of the 2024-25 campaign due to his contract situation.
Tavares arrived at the Emirates in a £6.8m deal in the summer of 2021, and the Portuguese ended his debut season in North London with one goal and two assists from 28 matches in all competitions.
As well as Tavares, fellow left-back Kieran Tierney will return from his loan spell at Real Sociedad to a complicated situation, as his long-term future under Arteta also remains clouded in uncertainty.
At this moment in time, however, Zinchenko is Arsenal's only recognised left-back, and Arteta has often been forced to use Jakub Kiwior in an unnatural wide due to the former's recent calf injury.
Ben Knapton
