Arsenal told to accept Fiorentina bid by Lucas Torreira

When Arsenal signed Lucas Torreira ahead of the likes of Liverpool, it was seen as a coup. The playmaker left Italian football to come to England, and looked a perfect fit for the Gunners upon his arrival. However, the move quickly soured and it became clear that Torreira was unhappy.

Failing to settle into the team or the country, Torreira eventually asked to leave and was sent on loan to Atletico Madrid. His time in Spain was a waste of time, though, despite part of an Atletico team that won the league title.

He barely played, and this summer instead went on loan to Fiorentina. La Viola are a beloved club of many in Italy, and have had a long history of reviving careers. Picking up the Uruguayan, it was hoped, would restore his value and get Arsenal closer to recouping their money on the international.

Despite being excellent for Fiorentina, though, the Tuscan club lack the funds to make the deal stick permanently.

As such, there is a debate at the club as to whether or not they can get Torreira to come back. Arsenal want a fee in excess of €20m, something Fiorentina cannot afford. In a bid to push the move through, though, Arsenal have been asked by Torreira and his camp to accept what Fiorentina can actually afford.

Such is his desire to return to Florence that he would likely try and block other avenues until Fiorentina walk away from the deal. So, it might be hard for the club to get any kind of meaningful bidding war on the go for the deep lying playmaker.

What did Lucas Torreira say about leaving Arsenal?

As quoted by Italian publication FanPage, Torreira was quoted as saying: “My intention is to stay at Fiorentina. ‘But it will be necessary for the club to find an agreement with Arsenal. I’m perfectly fine in Florence. I am fine in Italy.”

On the season itself, where Torreira made a big impression, the Uruguayan added: ‘It was a very positive year, even if we failed to qualify for Europa League. ‘Perhaps, we deserved something more, but in the end, when you lose games, it means that you did not do everything you could. Sometimes, you must accept that opponents may be superior. Much credit goes to the coach, who made me feel important to the team.

‘Personally, I felt very loved by the teammates and fans, and when you have confidence in your means and feel trust from people around you, everything goes for the best. All these conditions helped me make it to the top and reach my record for goals in a season.’

So, for Arsenal, it sounds like they might need to find a compromise deal for the player. It can be tough to secure a deal like this, but the deal for Torreira might simply need to go down as one to forget and move on from as soon as is possible.