DONE DEAL: Nottingham Forest agree deal to sign Arsenal star on loan, official announcement imminent as Fabrizio Romano confirms transfer

Nottingham Forest have agreed a deal with Arsenal to sign defender Nuno Tavares. The Reds reopened talks with the Gunners in the last 24 hours with an agreement now in place.

The deal will be a loan to start with a but option clause of £12m.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the news as he said that Tavares said yes to joining Forest when they were first mentioned earlier this month.

Tavares hasn’t found things easy at Arsenal. He signed as a talented player from Benfica for £8 million back in 2021 but has managed just 28 appearances for the Gunners, scoring once and claiming two assists.

Arguably the best season of his career came last season. He went on loan to Marseille and managed to score six goals and he held down the left-sided wing-back role for the Ligue 1 outfit.

Now, Forest look set to win the race to sign Tavares. It had seemed as though the Reds were going to miss out on the left-back, with Aston Villa linked with the 23-year-old shortly after Forest’s interest became clear.

The player was previously praised by Garth Crooks in his BBC Team of the Week column. He called him ‘brilliant’ after he assisted Bukayo Saka for a goal.

Tavares will be met with some scepticism from the Reds fan base. During a 1-0 defeat to Forest in the FA Cup back in 2022, Tavres was subbed after just 20 minutes following an uncomfortable start.

Still, he rediscovered himself last season. At Marseille he was outstanding and he helped the club qualify for the qualifying stages of the Champions League.

The Reds need to get themselves a new left-back sorted out. Ola Aina is more of a makeshift option, whilst Harry Toffolo faces a ban after breaching betting regulations.

Tavares could thrive under Steve Cooper. This looks like a clear sign that Forest want to play with wing-backs this season and that can only be a good thing.