Italian manager believes Lazio defender has the ability to play for Real Madrid – “He belongs there”

Italian manager believes Lazio defender has the ability to play for Real Madrid – “He belongs there” Gennaro Gattuso has never been someone who has shied away from the limelight. Even as a manager, Gattuso, now at Lazio, has continued to make statement that often raises eyebrows. In one such instance, the Lazio manager has surprisingly claimed that one of his own players deserves to play for Real Madrid. Gattuso backs Tavares at Real Madrid Gattuso believes Tavares has the quality to play for Real Madrid. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images) After a recent draw with AC Milan, Gattuso heaped praise on left-back Nuno Tavares, adding that he is worthy of playing for a club like Real Madrid. “ I’ve always said that Tavares is worthy of Real Madrid. It looks like someone who lost his young parents, received a great inheritance and in five years vanished ,” he said (h/t Defensa Central ). “This player should be at Real Madrid. It has it all: speed, good right leg and left. He is an atypical player, but after a game he needs time to recover. He’s a good boy; you have to convince him and make him understand ,” he added. Gattuso, though, added that quality and pace aren’t enough and that he also needs to show some level of understanding and discipline. “He knows he has talent and that, with his qualities, he could have played 10 or 12 years at Real Madrid. Just make him understand ,” he said. Is Tavares a right fit for Real Madrid? Tavares has shown impressive form at Lazio. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images) After a failed stint at Arsenal, Tavares has found relative success at Lazio, racking up 11 assists in just over 60 competitive matches. He has certainly impressed with his ability to make marauding runs forward and offer width on the flanks. However, Real Madrid are well covered at left-back, with Marc Cucurella being the undisputed number one following his big money move from Chelsea. Alvaro Carreras, too, impressed in the recent game against Rayo Vallecano , so there is no reason why Real Madrid should once again go after another left-back. That being said, if Carreras leaves in the near future, Tavares could be an interesting backup for Cucurella, given the fact that he might not cost a fortune.