Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares has reportedly arrived in Marseille to complete his loan move to the Ligue 1 club.
The Portugal Under-21 international was signed to provide backup and competition to Kieran Tierney last term and was thrust into the limelight after the Scot underwent knee surgery.
Tavares endured a hit-and-miss debut campaign as an Arsenal player, during which he recorded one goal and two assists from 28 appearances in all competitions.
The left-back started 13 Premier League games in total, but he was criticised for his defensive performances and was substituted early on more than one occasion.
The arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko would also restrict Tavares's opportunities in the first team, and he is therefore set for a spell away from the club in 2022-23.
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According to La Provence, Tavares has now touched down in France to undergo his medical with Marseille, after which his loan move will be confirmed.
The 22-year-old is understood to be joining Les Olympiens on a season-long loan with no option to buy, as Mikel Arteta still has high hopes for the youngster.
Marseille swooped in to secure Tavares's signature after negotiations broke down with Atalanta BC, who wanted to insert an option to buy in Tavares's loan deal.
The Gunners were not willing to let the left-back leave permanently, and he will now be given the chance to experience Champions League football before returning to Arsenal in 2023.
Tavares has a contract with Arsenal until the summer of 2025, and the North London club also possess the option to extend his contract for an additional 12 months.
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Tavares was a part of Arsenal's pre-season tour squad for their trip to the United States but is now set to be the fourth notable name to leave the Gunners for Marseille.
William Saliba, Sead Kolasinac and Matteo Guendouzi have also made the move from the Emirates to the Orange Velodrome, with the latter two signing permanent deals.
Saliba won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award for his performances on loan last season, but Marseille have so far failed to strike a permanent deal for the 21-year-old.
However, the Ligue 1 outfit are supposedly still optimistic about their chances of signing Saliba after president Pablo Longoria travelled to London to dine with the defender's agent Djibril Niang.
Pablo Mari, Hector Bellerin, Nicolas Pepe, Bernd Leno and Lucas Torreira are all expected to follow Tavares out of the Emirates exit door before the transfer window slams shut.
Ben Knapton
