While Lazio are open to selling Nuno Tavares, Porto have reportedly been told they must improve their offer.
Nuno Tavares Destined to Leave Lazio?
The 26-year-old’s future has been a topic of discussion since the start of the summer, especially following the arrival of Alfonso Pedraza. The 30-year-old Spaniard has seemingly locked down a starting role in Gennaro Gattuso’s lineup, while Tavares has been struggling with another muscle injury that kept him out of the majority of the pre-season camp.
However, the Portuguese’s physical woes might not be his only issue, as there seems to be some tension between the player and the Lazio management, or possibly the technical staff. In recent days, it was noticed that the former Arsenal man deleted all traces of Lazio from his Instagram account, potentially foreshadowing an imminent departure.
Porto Submit Opening Offer for Tavares
According to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, Tavares genuinely believes his Lazio chapter is well and truly over. The Portugal international is open to a return to his home country, and Porto would be thrilled to accommodate him. The Dragao’s Italian head coach, Francesco Farioli, is said to be a keen admirer of the player.
The Formula & Figures
While Pedulla confirms that the Portuguese giants have made an offer for the left-back, he insists that the formula didn’t appease Lazio. Porto tried to sign the Lisbon native on an initial loan worth no more than €2 million, plus an option to buy at the end of the season. On the contrary, the Biancocelesti prefer a different formula, one that guarantees a permanent transfer.
Tavares’ Contract, Salary & Arsenal Clause
Tavares is tied to Lazio with a contract valid until June 2029. He is the club’s third-highest earner, only behind Alessio Romagnoli and Mattia Zaccagni, with a net salary of €2.5 million per year. It should also be noted that Arsenal remain an interested third party, as they would collect 35% of the transfer fee in case of a sale.
Getting lowballed by Porto in a similar way, quite hilarious.
For fellow Laziali who are interested in the financial side and the transfer issues Lazio has:
While net salary (€2.5M) matters to the player, the club focuses on the gross outlay (€4.4M fixed), which directly hits Lazio’s balance sheet.
This gross wage must fit within UEFA’s 70% Squad Cost Rule (calculated against total revenue plus net player sales profit). The 70% cap includes the head coach’s salary (down from €6.5M–€7.5M gross under Sarri to €2.8M–€3M with Gattuso), agent fees, performance bonuses, and annual transfer fee amortisation/write offs.