Loaned from Arsenal for the season, Tavares has racked up a league-leading five assists in his first five appearances.

The report highlights how Tavares has become a key creative outlet for Lazio, helping them to third place in Serie A with 13 points after seven matches.

With just three points separating Lazio from leaders Napoli, Tavares' contributions have been crucial. His assists have come against sides such as AC Milan, where he provided two assists, and Fiorentina, as well as against Torino and Empoli.

Lazio's social media dubbed him "the Nuno Express" following his latest assist.

Tavares himself has expressed satisfaction with his time in Rome so far. "I feel more and more at home here in Lazio. Fortunately, things are going well on a personal and collective level. We still have a long way to go, but for now the balance is very positive," he said recently.

He added, "I feel good watching my teammates. It's good to already have this understanding with them in such a short period of time. We can only get better. I'm happy to be here."

Tavares' statistics underline his impact in Serie A beyond just assists. He is currently ranked second in the league for expected assists (xA) and is among the top 10 for dribbles completed.

So much so that Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb has been reflecting on missed opportunities for Atalanta and Inter Milan, who previously came close to signing the 24-year-old.

Atalanta's interest in Tavares in 2022 fell through due to differences in deal terms, with Arsenal seeking a loan and a EUR35m valuation, which was beyond Atalanta's budget.

As a result, Tavares joined Marseille on loan instead.

Tavares' loan deal with Lazio includes an obligation to buy, conditional on achieving specific targets. The clause is likely to be triggered after he reaches a set number of appearances, making a permanent move highly probable given his current form.

If the transfer is completed, Tavares would remain with Lazio until June 2029, with Arsenal set to receive EUR9 million (PS7.6 million) as well as a sell-on clause exceeding 25% of any future sale.

Arsenal paid EUR8m (PS6.7m) for Tavares in 2021.