Having left out of Mikel Arteta’s plans at Arsenal, Lucas Torreira joined Fiorentina on a loan deal last summer.
The Serie A side had an option to make the midfielder’s stay permanent for €15m and the last date to trigger that clause was on May 31st.
Hours before the deadline, the 26-year-old made it clear his intention is to continue with the Italian club and not return to Arsenal.
Fiorentina have not exercised the buying option and the Uruguay international, who has a year left on his contract at the Emirates, is facing an uncertain future.
Vincenzo Italiano, however, has still not given up signing the Arsenal player.
Corriere Fiorentino on Wednesday states the Serie A side’s chief, Joe Barone, is still in the United States, while the club manager is waiting for the next meeting to define plans for the summer window.
Italiano hopes Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Pradè can ‘pursue diplomacy’ with the midfielder’s agent, who has ‘not completely closed on the door’ for his client’s move. In other words, the talks between two parties ‘will go on indefinitely’.
Torreira’s latest comments indicates his will is to join Fiorentina, but they must beware of the risk of another club coming forward to take the player away from Arsenal.
The report states Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri is a ‘great admirer’ of the South American.
