Arsenal have been told that a deal for midfielder Lucas Torreira must be completed by this Friday or the Gunners risk losing-out on a considerable fee.
The Uruguayan spent last season on loan with Serie A club Fiorentina and it was reported that the Italian outfit were keen to retain his services on a permanent basis and a deal was expected to be signed off without a hitch. However, negotiations between the two clubs have been dragging on for some time.
Originally a fee of €15m (£12.7m) was agreed between the two clubs but Fiorentina appear unwilling to pay that aforementioned amount, with €8m (£6.8m) the highest they are reportedly willing to go.
With talks at an impasse, the Serie A club have been scouring the market for fresh options. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Hoffenheim’s Florian Grillitsch is on the club’s shortlist and would be available on a free transfer.
It is suggested that negotiations are at an advanced stage and that a deal could be sealed as early as Friday, putting pressure on Arsenal to lower their demands for Torreira. Should Fiorentina elect not to sign the Uruguayan, then it would be a considerable blow to the Gunners’ summer plans.
Having originally been in line to receive a fair amount for the former Sampdoria star, the club were expected to re-invest that amount into their squad this summer, with Mikel Arteta keen on welcoming a number of new names to the Emirates Stadium. However, they would instead be left with a player who looks likely to have no future in north London.
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Torreira, 26, has of course not played for the club since the back-end of the 2019/20 season. He was sent out on-loan to Atletico Madrid - winning La Liga in the process - but struggled for first team football before then agreeing to a second consecutive loan spell, this time with Fiorentina.
He certainly enjoyed a better time of things in Italy having made 35 appearances in all competitions and scored five goals. The Uruguayan midfielder has already highlighted his desire to stay with La Viola beyond a solitary season.
Speaking last week, he said: “My intention is to stay at Fiorentina, but the club will need to find an agreement with Arsenal. I am very happy in Italy and in Florence.”
Meanwhile, his agent Pablo Bentancur was not hugely optimistic on an agreement being found between Arsenal and Fiorentina that would allow his client to do just that. “It’s not over yet, but the chances of Lucas staying in Florence are very small,” he conceded.
“There is a contractual problem with Fiorentina and my priority is to find an agreement with them so he is not thinking about other teams for now.”
