Portuguese assist-master Nuno Tavares “feeling more and more at home” at Lazio | OneFootball

One of the more positive early-season stories concerning Portuguese abroad has been the form of full-back Nuno Tavares at Lazio, where the former Benfica man has been drawing many admirers.

Tavares tops the Serie A assist charts having registered 5 in his last five appearances, with his rampaging forward runs from left-back a feature of the Rome club’s recent matches. So much so that he has been nicknamed ‘expresso’ by some in the Italian capital.

The upturn in form comes as Tavares settles at yet another new club. Since leaving Benfica just three years ago for Arsenal, Tavares has also turned out for Marseille in France and Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League. Having joined Lazio on a €1m loan deal with obligation to buy, the 25-year-old is making a huge impact in Italian football.

“I feel more and more at home at Lazio,” he told O Jogo. “Fortunately, things are going well for me personally and collectively. I think we have risen to the challenge and we can only think about improving. We still have a long way to go, but for now, the results are very positive.

“I feel good with my teammates. It is good to have this understanding with them in such a short space of time. We can only improve. I am very happy to be here.”

Lazio will pay Arsenal €5m at the end of the season as part of their mandatory permanent deal, with a possible €3m more in bonuses. Marco Baroni’s side have made a strong start to the campaign, occupying 4th place in the league while winning both their opening Europa League matches against Dinamo Kyiv and Nice.