Arsenal are reportedly set to sign AS Roma midfielder Amadou Diawara in a swap deal that will see Lucas Torreira return to Italy.
According to a report from Il Romanista, as relayed by The Sun, Arsenal star Lucas Torreira could be on his way back to Italy, with the Gunners set to sell him to Serie A giants AS Roma in exchange for midfielder Amadou Diawara.
Torreira joined Arsenal from Italian club Sampdoria in the summer of 2018. After a fairly impressive debut campaign in England the Uruguayan found himself in and out of the side in the 2019/20 term, with injuries and poor form contributing to his struggles.
Torreira finished the season with just 17 Premier League starts and was an unused substitute in Arsenal’s FA Cup final triumph against Chelsea. As a result, the midfielder’s future at the Emirates under Mikel Arteta has been shrouded by uncertainty, with there being reported interest from AC Milan.
At the same time, the Gunners are also scouring the market for reinforcements in the middle of the park. With Torreira’s situation as it is and Matteo Guendouzi’s future also up in the air, the north London outfit had identified Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey as a solution to their midfield woes.
However, signing him would require a huge financial outlay, as Partey has a £45 million release clause, while he would also command a £200,000-a-week in wages. This would have made things difficult for Arsenal given that they are operating on a tight budget.
However, it now seems like they have been able to find a cost-effective arrangement to bolster their midfield. As per the aforementioned report, Arsenal will allow Torreira to join AS Roma, with Amadou Diawara heading to the Emirates as part of a swap deal.
Diawara, who is valued at £27 million, joined the Giallorossi from fellow Serie A side Napoli only last year. The 23-year-old immediately became a regular for Paulo Fonseca’s side, finishing the 2019/20 campaign with 31 appearances across all competitions.
Diawara has been held in the highest of regards since his Napoli days and has been compared to Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante in the past. And his potential arrival would add some much-needed steel and bite in the centre of the park for Arsenal.
At the same time, the club would also be getting rid of a player who doesn’t seem to be a major part of Arteta’s plans. The report goes on to add that Torreira has given a green-light to the move already. It remains to be seen if the deal does go through, but if it does, it could prove to be a win-win for all parties involved.
