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Lazio enter transfer race for Arsenal outcast Lucas Torreira after Fiorentina fail to invoke clause after loan spell
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LAZIO have entered the race to sign Arsenal outcast Lucas Torreira, according to reports.
The Uruguayan midfielder, 26, spent last season on loan at Fiorentina.
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But the Serie A side failed to trigger their option to buy him on a permanent deal worth £12.5million.
Now, claim Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri wants to bring the midfielder to Rome.
The story also claims that Fiorentina are still hopeful of a deal for Torreira.
Fiorentina are trying to negotiate Arsenal’s asking price down because they know he does not figure in Mikel Arteta’s plans and only has a year remaining on his £75,000-a-week Emirates contract.
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Torreira told supporters: “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.”
But Torreira’s agent Pablo Bentancur is not optimistic and says: “It’s not over yet, but the chances of Lucas staying in Florence are very small.
“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.”
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The Gunners paid Sampdoria £26million for Torreira in 2018, as the Unai Emery revolution began.
But while he played regularly for the Spaniard in his 18 month spell, he failed to impress Arteta and hasn't played for the North London side for two years.
He spent an unsuccessful season on loan at Atletico Madrid in 2020-21 and a much more productive time back in Italy with Fiorentina.
Arsenal have already made it clear that he has no future at the Emirates after recently handing his number 11 shirt to Gabriel Martinelli.
But now they need to sort out a transfer fee before his contract enters its final 12 months and his transfer value completely collapses.
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