According to Sky Sports, Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira is close to joining Fiorentina on a loan deal, which will include an option to buy the player for £12.8 million next summer. The midfielder will make his way back to Serie A after joining Arsenal from Sampdoria in 2018.
The Uruguay international couldn’t get into the first team under Mikel Arteta and he was sent on a season-long loan to Atletico Madrid. The Rojiblancos decided not to make his move permanent after failing to impress Diego Simeone, making 3 starts in 19 appearances in La Liga.
The player has made 63 appearances for the Gunners, with 3 goals and 3 assists to his name in the Premier League. Ever since Mikel Arteta took over at the club, the player has been overlooked which led him to look for other options to have regular game time. The player was linked with a move to Boca Juniors, but a transfer back to Serie A looks more prominent.
Arsenal has spent big this summer, bringing in midfield signings like Sambi Lokonga & Martin Odegaard and have also handed a contract extension to Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka. These things make it more difficult for the 25-year-old midfielder to break into the first team.
Lucas Torreira will be in Italy today in order to comple his medical and sign as new Fiorentina player. He turned down Eintracht bid. 🛩🇺🇾 #AFC
Arsenal receive €1.5m loan fee. There’s no bid from Watford for Elneny – talks on but no agreement yet with Fenerbahçe for Kolasinac.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 23, 2021
As reported by Sky Sports, Lucas Torreira is set to join Serie A club Fiorentina on loan for the whole season. The defensive midfielder was also wanted by Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt, but the player’s preference was to move to Italy.
Despite giving Man of the Match performances in the Premier League against Spurs and Liverpool, the player could not cement his position at Emirates and was often used as a backup option. The lack of playtime in North London even pushed the player to the brink of a mental breakdown. The player himself revealed in an interview that he had to see a psychologist:
“A year ago I had been working with a psychologist in Spain because when in the second year at Arsenal I played very little.”
“It was hard for me to really assimilate it because my life depends on football and when I don’t play I have a very bad time, I am in a very bad mood and many things happen. That’s why I started with him and he was giving me a hand with that topic.”
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It is only right for Arsenal to let go of the player, with Arteta reportedly telling the player of him not being part of his plans. Lucas Torreira will have a new challenge at Fiorentina and he might get his fair share of game time. Moreover, considering the number of players Arsenal have for the midfield department, it is understood that they will need to make space for the new arrivals.
Though the Lucas Torreira deal seems to be almost done, the likes of Willian and Hector Bellerin remains to be offloaded. With transfer deadline day closing in, Arsenal still need to sign a right-back and a striker. Smart and decisive business is the key for the Gunners, who are having a good transfer window so far. They would be hoping to get rid of the deadwood at the club before the transfer window slams shut.
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