---
title: "Newcastle United: Magpies ‘make contact’ over Nuno Tavares"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-magpies-make-contact-over-nuno-tavares/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Newcastle United"
published: "2021-04-21T07:40:03Z"
modified: "2021-04-21T07:40:03Z"
---

# Newcastle United: Magpies ‘make contact’ over Nuno Tavares

**Newcastle United have approached Benfica to sound out the possibility of a move for 21-year-old left-back Nuno Tavares this summer, according to Portuguese outlet [Record](https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-nos/benfica/detalhe/ingleses-atentos-a-nuno-tavares).**

If the signals are positive, the report claimed that Newcastle could soon progress to the bidding stage, with Burnley and Napoli also named as interested parties.

Tavares has an €88m (£76m) release clause in his contract at the Estadio da Luz but the club are apparently open to a €30m (£25.9m) sale.

### How has Nuno Tavares done at Benfica this season?

The Portuguese defender should be viewed as a star of the future. He has been eased into the Benfica first team, [starting only five](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/379790/Show/Nuno-Tavares) Liga NOS matches this season and making a further six appearances off the bench.

He was also handed a [five-minute runout](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56185885) in the second leg of their Europa League defeat to Arsenal last month.

According to [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/379790/Show/Nuno-Tavares), Tavares excels at crossing, chance creation and blocking the ball.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”343794″\]

He has been labelled ‘one of the fastest players in the whole Portuguese league’ and is tipped to go on to become one of the best in Europe (via [talkSPORT](https://talksport.com/football/821147/premier-league-transfer-news-manchester-united-nuno-tavares-prediction-roma-napoli/)).

Intriguingly, Benfica have been [linked](https://www.football365.com/news/benfica-set-sights-exciting-wolves-full-back-ruben-vinagre) with Wolves’ Ruben Vinagre, who is only a year older than Tavares. If they can strike that deal, then they may not stand in his way.

### Transfer Tavern verdict

Tavares looks an excellent prospect, and £25.9m sounds like a more than reasonable fee. However, it’s difficult to see Newcastle shelling out that much on a left-back, particularly if Mike Ashley remains in his post.

A return for Jetro Willems, valued at a mere £2.7m by [Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jetro-willems/profil/spieler/146258), might be more realistic given the [soundbytes of austerity](https://lastwordonsports.com/football/2020/12/28/report-newcastle-united-have-no-january-transfer-budget-with-injury-problems-mounting/) in recent months surrounding Newcastle’s transfer budget.

***In other news, [a football finance expert has offered his verdict on the 1892 Pledge](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/newcastle-united-finance-expert-offers-verdict-on-1892-pledge/).***