Transfer Rumour: Napoli willing to lodge €25 million bid for Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira

Napoli are reportedly plotting a €25 million bid for Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira, with a view to signing him in the January window.

According to a report by Italian publication Il Mattino, Lucas Torreira is the subject of interest from Napoli. The Serie A giants are weighing up a move for the Arsenal midfielder in the January transfer window and are willing to table bid worth €25 million for the Uruguayan.

Lucas Torreira joined Arsenal from Sampdoria in the summer of 2018. A near-instant success, the 23-year-old took little time to become a mainstay in the middle of the park for the Gunners, turning in a number of strong performances in the first half of the 2018-19 season. The turn of the year, however, has not been kind to the player.

Torreira suffered a dip in form in the second half of last season. Things went from bad to worse at the onset of the current campaign, wherein he had become a bit-part player, with Unai Emery being criticised for his treatment of the Uruguayan midfielder among other things, as Arsenal struggled to get their season in order.

His fortunes, though, have not improved considerably since Emery was shown the door last month, with Torreira starting two of the four games that Freddie Ljungberg has overseen since being given temporary charge of the Arsenal first-team squad. And, it appears as if Torreira’s situation has piqued the interest of Napoli.

Napoli are in a precarious situation with respect to the futures of some of their key players following a few turbulent months at the start of the season. To that end, Carlo Ancelotti was sacked this month, with Gennaro Gattuso replacing his compatriot. Gattuso now has a tricky situation at hand, with Allan among the players being linked with an exit from the club.

Any possible departure would leave Napoli in need of a holding midfielder, which is where Torreira comes in. Torreira’s own iffy situation at Arsenal puts Napoli in a potentially solid position if they were to approach the north Londoners for a January move.

The 23-year-old is not Gattuso’s first choice to replace Allan in his squad, but with moves for targets like Sandro Tonali, Sofyan Amrabat and Franck Kessie being difficult to execute, the Arsenal midfielder has emerged as a quick solution for the Napoli boss.

As a result, the Partenopei are ready to rest Arsenal’s resolve by tabling a €25 million bid for Torreira. Napoli would prefer a January loan instead of a permanent move, but the report suggests that Arsenal are likely to insist on a cash deal, which is why a €25 million bid has been formulated.

It now remains to be seen if Arsenal are willing to cash in on Torreira heading into the January transfer window. If so, it will be interesting to see if the €25 million offer is good enough for Napoli to prise the player away from the Premier League club.