Politics
Arsenal willing to accept Lucas Torreira transfer hit and accept cut-price £15m amid Boca Juniors move request
ARSENAL are willing to let Lucas Torreira leave the club this summer but will demand a £15million fee, according to reports.
Torreira, 25, is on loan at Atletico Madrid and has not been a part of Mikel Arteta’s plans since the Spaniard became manager.
And last week the midfielder told ESPN Argentina that he was keen to move back to South America to play for Boca Juniors following the death of his mother.
Torreira said: “It’s not a crazy decision because of my mother. I have always said that I want to play for Boca. I’m dying to play for Boca and I will always say it.
“The night my mother died, one of the first to hear the news was my agent. I don’t want to play in Europe anymore, I want to play for Boca.
“I want to be close to my family. My father, crying, told me that it was time to play for Boca. I always liked Boca, I’m yet to experience La Bombonera, it’s something that I have deep inside me and I have to indulge myself.”
On Wednesday Arteta refused to add to speculation on Torreira’s future.
He said: “It is not the moment to make any decisions [on players’ futures].”
However, the Gunners are reportedly open to selling Torreira due to a need to raise funds, per ESPN.
It is believed Arsenal are prepared to accept a loss on the Uruguay international, having signed him for £26m in 2018.
But it is unlikely Atletico will make a permanent move for the midfielder, as he has fallen out of favour under Diego Simeone.
Torreira has featured in 15 league games but just three of those have been starts.
He has done little to prove he is a better option that Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey or Dani Ceballos, so Arteta may be open to letting him go.
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Meanwhile, the Gunners have previously been linked with Sevilla midfielder Joan Jordan, so it is a position Arteta is aiming to improve.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock are two other midfield options currently out on loan.
That leaves Arsenal with some big decisions to make in the summer as they look to raise funds for their budget.
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