Nuno Tavares has been told he is “worthy of Real Madrid” by Lazio manager Gennaro Gattuso after the former Arsenal full-back impressed in a 2-2 draw with Milan.
The Portugal international has been showing more of his ability since moving to Italy, having struggled to make the expected impact following his move to the Premier League.
Gattuso backs Nuno Tavares’ Real Madrid potential
Gattuso was asked about Tavares after the match and offered a striking assessment of the defender’s potential.
“I always said that Tavares is worthy of Real Madrid,” the Lazio manager said in his post-match press conference.
He then compared the player’s career to someone who had received a large inheritance but failed to preserve it, saying: “He feels like someone who lost his parents young, received a big inheritance, and in five years it went up in smoke.”
Gattuso nevertheless made clear that he believes Tavares possesses the natural qualities required to play at the highest level.
“This is a player who ought to be at Real Madrid. He’s got everything it takes, he has pace, right foot, left foot,” he said.
The Lazio boss added that Tavares requires careful management, noting that he needs time to recover after matches and that “you need to get into his head and make him understand”.
Tavares came through at Benfica before joining Arsenal, where his spell did not work out as hoped. His displays in Italy have since given Gattuso reason to believe the defender can still fulfil his considerable potential.
