Aston Villa ‘exploring’ surprise £7m Arsenal signing as Nottingham Forest dealt blow

Aston Villa are weighing up making a surprise move for Arsenal full-back Nuno Tavares as an alternative to Sevilla’s Marcos Acuña, according to a reputable report.

The Villans have been keen to add depth on the left side of defence for a while but it has become even more of a necessity following the long-term injury suffered by Tyrone Mings.

Acuña is thought to be the priority target for the position but another option has been drawn up in the form of Arsenal’s Tavares, who had previously been targeted by Nottingham Forest.

Reliable transfer news journalist Fabrizio Romano reports the Forest approach has completely fallen through and Villa are now “exploring the conditions of the deal”.

Personal terms are yet to be discussed with the player but the clubs are expected to be in contact imminently to negotiate a potential transfer.

Tavares has made 28 appearances for Arsenal since signing from Benfica in 2021 for a fee in the region of £7 million. The 23-year-old played 31 times on loan at Marseille last season, scoring six goals.