Arsenal has signed 21-year-old defender Nuno Tavares from S.L. Benfica on a long-term contract, the Premier League club confirmed on Friday.
Nuno Tavares has been developed through the Benfica youth system, making his Benfica B debut in October 2018, before progressing into the first-team squad. He made his first-team debut in the Portuguese Super Cup win over Sporting Lisbon in August 2019.
Over the past two seasons, the Portugal Under-21 international -- who is predominantly a left-sided defender -- made 25 appearances for Benfica.
"Nuno is a talented young player who was wanted by a number of clubs across Europe. He will provide strong back-up in the left-back position. We look forward to him growing and developing with us and becoming an important member of the first-team squad," the technical director of Arsenal, Edu said in a release.
Manager Mikel Arteta said: "We welcome Nuno to the club. He is a young player with great promise who has developed very well with Benfica in recent seasons and has also shown his quality by being part of Portugal Under-21s. Nuno's arrival will give the squad extra strength and options in defence, particularly with this energy on the left side of the pitch. We look forward to Nuno's arrival soon, his integration into the Arsenal family and playing in front of our fantastic supporters."
The young defender will join up with his new teammates in the coming days after he has travelled from Portugal and completed the current isolation regulations for international arrivals into the UK. Nuno will wear the number 20 shirt.
( With inputs from ANI )
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