Lazio will pay Arsenal €9 million after the obligation-to-buy clause in the loan deal of Nuno Tavares was activated, according to Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The 25-year-old left-back spent last season on loan in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest, making 12 appearances, but the option to sign him for £12m was not activated and he joined the Serie A club in July.
The Arsenal-owned star has played 28 times for Lazio, weighing in with nine assists, and an obligation to buy if certain conditions were met was included in the deal.
Tavares has impressed the Italian top-flight club, fetching the Gunners €9m, with a sell-on clause also included in the deal.
The North London club need funds ahead of the summer transfer window as they plan to bolster their squad to mount a stronger title challenge next term, and money from the sale of the Portuguese will come in handy.
Tavares joined Arsenal for around £8m from Benfica in 2021, playing 28 times before leaving on loan for Marseille the following season after falling out with manager Mikel Arteta.
More defensive exits are expected this summer, with both Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko likely to be sold, while the future of Jakub Kiwior is also in doubt having been constantly linked with a move away from the North London club in recent months.
As a result, reinforcement at left-back could be pursued when the transfer window opens, but attacking additions are top of the plans at Arsenal, with a new number 9 and a winger likely to be snapped up in the coming weeks.
The Gunners want to go one better in the Champions League and Premier League in 2025-26 after coming close to winning both competitions this term, and a few more quality additions could get the job done for them.
