CM: Lazio star’s value rises after Milan’s failed swap attempt – the background

Nuno Tavares was linked with a summer move to AC Milan, but now his price is soaring after a great start to the season.

Calciomercato.com begin a report by recalling what Lazio boss Gennaro Gattuso had to say about his left-back: “There’s only one player at his level, and that’s Nuno Mendes. He’s a player who has everything, but he hasn’t been consistent throughout his career.”

After a stellar start to the new campaign, Nuno Tavares seems to have returned to the glories of two seasons ago, and now scouts are once again paying close attention.

Regret for Milan?

Tavares went from having nine assists (league and cup) from August 2024 to January 2025, to a year and a half of basically nothing. It seemed as though he might be parting ways with the Biancocelesti to try a new challenge.

In the summer Milan came forward, with a view to a swap deal with the then-outgoing Fikayo Tomori. It was believed that Tavares – who also recently praised the club – was being eyed as a potential replacement for Pervis Estupinan, as talks with Aston Villa were well underway.

Porto, Besiktas, and several Saudi clubs expressed interest as well. In the end, none of these options materialised, despite the Portuguese having even deleted the Lazio posts from his Instagram.

Lotito will have to pay 40% of Nuno Tavares’s resale price to Arsenal upon his future sale. He valued his star full-back at around €20m in the summer, discouraging interest in a player whose value was not rising but falling.

Now that price will go up again for several reasons: positive performances, a relatively long contract (€2m per year until 2029), and Lazio’s need to balance incomings and outgoings, thus maximising the value of each sale. If Milan go back in, they will have to pay up.