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Kevin Campbell urges Arsenal to unleash 21-year-old ‘full of power, full of speed’ v Liverpool

Giuseppe Labellarte

Fri 19 November 2021 7:45, UK

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been urged by Kevin Campbell to start Nuno Tavares against Liverpool on Saturday.

The 21-year-old joined Arsenal in the summer for a reported £7million on a long-term contract.

Tavares’ signing may have initially gone somewhat under the radar due to his relatively low transfer fee, but he’s quickly become a fan favourite at the Emirates.

Arsenal first-choice left-back Kieran Tierney has spent some time on the sidelines and the Portuguese has deputised superbly.

Tavares has made 10 appearances this season for Mikel Arteta’s side, including seven in the Premier League, of which three have been starts.

Tierney is available once again, so Arteta is likely to give him the nod against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

After all, Liverpool are one of the strongest teams in the league, for which any manager would face with his biggest guns.

However, Campbell reckons the Reds won’t know much about Tavares, so he thinks Arteta should opt for him instead.

“If I’m honest, I wouldn’t change it,” he told . “Nuno has got the physicality and the speed.

“Defensively he’s maybe not as accomplished as Tierney, but these days have been racking up clean sheets.

“Play him, you know what, he’ll be a threat going the other way and they don’t really know much about him.”

Arsenal gem is “full of power, full of speed”

Former Benfica youth coach Joao Tralhao believes Tavares can become a star.

“He has huge mental strength and I think that is so important in a league as demanding as the Premier League,” he told .

“You need to be strong mentally and Nuno has a lot of mental skills.

“And in terms of talent, it’s easy to see for everyone. He has incredible potential.

“He is full of power, full of speed, can win duels with everyone, he can cross, assist, dribble, pass well with precision.

“Nuno has all the potential to become a complete full-back, so I am not surprised at how he has settled.”