Atlético Madrid were successful in beating competition from Torino when signing Lucas Torreira on a loan deal from Arsenal in the summer window.
According to Tuttosport, the opportunity to play in the Champions League ‘pushed’ the Gunners owned player to pick Diego Simeone’s side over the Italian club. Had it not been for the European competition, Torreira would have seriously considered joining Torino.
The midfielder has appeared in every domestic fixture of the La Liga side since joining them on October 5th.
However, he has made only two starts in the league and has just 30 minutes of action across three matches in the Champions League.
The outlet states the Uruguay international had hoped to have more minutes with Los Rojiblancos in order to retain his place in the national team.
Although Óscar Tabárez has summoned him for the ongoing international break, Torreira’s chances of regularly representing his country could ‘shatter’ if he’s not featuring regularly at Atlético.
The Arsenal midfielder played under Marco Giampaolo at Sampdoria and the manager is of the belief he can raise the competitiveness of his current side by bringing in Torreira.
It’s claimed the Serie A side have a ‘strategy’ to sign Giampaolo’s former player, and the first step will be taken by Torino technical director Davide Vagnati, who ‘will contact’ Torreira’s entourage in the next few days.
This will be done to know Torreira’s intentions or rather to know if he ‘still wants to come to Torino’. As per the report, Vagnati will present ‘guarantees’, like a regular place in the side and that the player will be placed in the centre of the club’s project.
Tuttosport are of the belief Giampaolo as a ‘guarantor’ can be a ‘decisive factor’, and once there’s an approval from the Uruguayan, Torino will then try to obtain the agreement from Atlético and then from Arsenal.
Having failed to gather more minutes in Madrid, the newspaper believe Mikel Arteta’s side would be willing to sanction his move to the Turin club in order to improve his valuation.
The report states, ‘All situations that can push Toro to have more chances of reaching 
the player of their desires, indeed of dreams. We are only at the beginning of a negotiation which is only in its infancy, but which could take off in the next few days’.
Two days ago, Torreira said he’s “comfortable and at ease at Atlético”. If we go by his latest comments, then it’s likely to be difficult for Torino to get an approval from him for a potential transfer.
