Arsenal willing to accept cut-price fee for midfielder – originally posted on Sportslens.com
Arsenal are prepared to accept a fee of approximately £15 million for midfielder Lucas Torreira, claims ESPN.
Torreira joined Arsenal from Sampdoria in the summer transfer window of 2018. His early days at the Emirates Stadium were promising, and he quickly made himself a fan favourite when he scored the fourth in a 4-2 win over bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
However, his performances dipped, and he soon found regular playing time hard to come by. He was later sent on loan to Atletico Madrid in a deal which saw Thomas Partey move in the other direction.
Under Diego Simeone, the Uruguayan has made just three starts in La Liga and 12 substitute appearances. Nonetheless, his loan spell at Los Rojiblancos could end with some silverware should they hold out to lift the title.
Recently, Torreira stated his desire to move back to South America following the death of his mother. Now ESPN are reporting that Arsenal have accepted his request, but will demand £15m for his signature.
This represents a significant loss for the Gunners, who signed the midfielder for an estimated £26m back in 2018. He still has two years remaining on his current contract.
Boca Juniors are said to be the most likely destination for the 25-year-old. It is believed that he supported the Argentinian side growing up.
Should Torreira leave Arsenal this summer, the North Londoners will need new investment in central midfield. Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard are both set to return to Real Madrid at the end of the season, while out-on-loan midfielders Joe Willock and Matteo Guendouzi are out of favour with manager Mikel Arteta.
This will leave the club with just Partey, Granit Xhaka, and Mohamed Elneny available at the heart of midfield. All three are more defensively orientated and won’t contribute much going forward.
Read also: Talented youngster set to reject Bayer Leverkusen in favour of Arsenal