Arsenal are reported to have begun talks with Sampdoria over a prospective deal for Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torriera.
The 22-year-old has come off a bright campaign for Sampdoria where he made 36 appearances in all competitions and there now appears to be interest from both the Gunners and Napoli for his signature.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, the north London side are prepared to tussle with Napoli for the services of Torreira, who has been picked in Uruguay preliminary squad for the summer World Cup.
It is added the Gunners may have a head start over Napoli having already initiated talks with the club, though this does not assure of any deal being sealed. The report further states that the North London club are hopeful of reaching an agreement for £22m star in the coming weeks.
Since the close of the campaign, head of recruitment Sven Mislintat has been working alongside head of relations Raul Sanllehi to reinforce the squad and the need for a new holding midfielder has been earmarked as one of the priorities.
As such, the likes of Lorenzo Pellegrini (AS Roma) and Jean Michael Seri (Nice) have been highlighted as possible targets and Torreira appears as the fresh option on their wishlist.
Torreira, who began his professional career with Pescara in 2014, has been impressive with his ball interception and tackling attributes during his two-year spell in Sampdoria but he remains relatively weak in the air for his medium height.
As things stand, the Gunners appear only in initial discussions regarding the midfielder but Napoli could yet pose a huge threat in the player’s pursuit as they are expecting to earn a significant sum from Jorginho’s proposed switch to Manchester City.
