AS Roma interested in Arsenal outcast Lucas Torreira

AS Roma are interested in signing Lucas Torreira after his move to Fiorentina fell through, while Arsenal are open to offers.

According to La Nazione, via Calcio Mercato, AS Roma are interested in a move for Lucas Torreira. The Uruguayan midfielder is on the market, with Arsenal ready to sell for the right price. He was close to signing for Fiorentina, although the deal has now fallen through.

Lucas Torreira was a decent signing for Arsenal in 2019 and had a good debut season in north London. While he was a regular under Unai Emery, the arrival of Mikel Arteta as his replacement spelt the change for the midfielder’s fortunes at the Emirates.

Arteta favours a system that does not have any room for Torreira. The Uruguayan played half a season under the Spaniard and was mostly a bench option, although he was still effective when called into action. The following summer, he was allowed to join Atletico Madrid on loan after Arsenal signed Thomas Party.

The spell in Madrid did not go as planned, and Diego Simeone was uninterested in signing him permanently. That marked a chance for Torreira to return to Italy, with Fiorentina taking the midfielder on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy last summer.

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Torreira was a brilliant acquisition for Fiorentina, making 31 appearances in the league. His displays earned him the club’s player of the month accolade thrice during the season. Torreira was keen to join them permanently, and the Serie A side heavily considered triggering the €15 million buy option.

Surprisingly negotiations went sideways, and Fiorentina gradually backed out of the deal citing their inability to pay the asking price. The situation with the midfielder has allowed Roma to consider making a move for Torreira in this window.

Jose Mourinho is in the market to strengthen his side and is looking at quality midfielders, among other positions. The Giallorossi have already finalised a deal for Nemanja Matic, who will join the club in due course. But the Portuguese manager still needs an energetic presence in the middle who could add more bite in the zone.

Torreira fits the role well, although Roma have been linked with several other names. Arsenal are expected to stick with their asking price and might make minimal concessions as they look to get the midfielder off their books.

Roma could ponder making a bid in the coming days as there’s no scope of Fiorentina returning with an offer. As for Torreira, a return to Italy would be an enticing prospect, although the capital club must launch an offer first..