Transfer News: Arsenal seal signing of Nuno Tavares from Benfica

• Arsenal have completed the £6.8million signing of Benfica’s Nuno Tavares
• The left-back will come in and provide competition for Kieran Tierney in defence
• Tavares’ arrival is Mikel Arteta’s first summer signing of the transfer window

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of former Benfica left-back Nuno Tavares in a £6.8million deal.

The deal, which will see the Gunners pay an additional £1.5million in add-ons, is Mikel Arteta’s first signing of the summer as the north Londoners face a first season without European football for a quarter of a century.

Tavares will wear the No 20 shirt at Arsenal and will act as competition for Kieran Tierney on the left-side of the Gunners defence. He will link up with his team-mates for pre-season when he completes a period of isolation after travelling from Portugal.

Tavares described the Gunners as a ‘big club’ and revealed he admires several young Arsenal players like Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, and he played against the former in the Under-21s European Championships earlier this year.

The 21-year-old left-back added:

‘I’m so excited because it is a big club and for me as a young guy, it is a pleasure to be here.’