Arsenal’s bid to sell defender Nuno Tavares to Lazio is being hampered by the Italian club’s convoluted pursuit of rejected Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood.

Over the last several seasons, the Gunners have not been shy about offloading players they believe are no longer useful, and defender Tavares appears to be no different.

Tavares, who signed from Benfica for £8 million in 2021, has unable to break into Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup and appears to be on his way out permanently following a series of loans.

Lazio reportedly expressed a strong interest in the defender during a meeting, but any prospective deal is hampered by a complicated arrangement for United’s Greenwood.

After being released by United, Greenwood spent last season on loan at Spanish club Getafe, where he scored 10 goals and drew interest from Italian and French clubs.

United, who value the player at roughly £40 million, reportedly rejected Lazio’s original offer of £21 million, believing it was below the price they were ready to sell him for. According to Calciomercato, Lazio has set a deal date of July 8th to complete the trade.

This is because United’s preseason begins on the 8th, and Lazio believes they may be able to entice the Red Devils into a low-cost deal so that Greenwood does not stagnate elsewhere – but Marseille are thought to be confident of beating the Serie A club to his signature.

The transaction is delaying their hopes to sign Arsenal’s Tavares, as the deadline approaches and their focus is still on the English striker.

Tavares’ agency has apparently been in contact with Lazio in a try to finalize the deal, with the same publication stating a meeting has been scheduled for a few days, but it is set to take place after the Italian club’s Greenwood deadline.

Loans to Marseille, another team interested in Greenwood, and Nottingham Forest have not been particularly effective. With Tavares’ contract expiring in 2025, it appears that a permanent move is unlikely, with Lazio reportedly only interested in a loan.

Arsenal will be eager to reclaim some of the £8 million spent on Tavares and prevent him from leaving on a free transfer next year, but for the time being, the Greenwood deal takes precedence, and Tavares will have to wait to find out his fate.