Arsenal man’s exit might just have been ruined by £40m Chelsea misfit

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After an impressive loan spell at Fiorentina, a revitalised Lucas Torreira surely would not have expected to still be an Arsenal player 48 hours out from their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. 

That is the situation Torreira finds himself in, however.

Fiorentina rejected the chance to turn his loan deal into a permanent transfer – much to the Uruguay international’s obvious frustration. Old employers Sampdoria simply cannot afford to turn a pipe dream of a reunion into a reality. Valencia, meanwhile, appear to have shifted their focus to Juventus’ Arthur Melo. 

One by one, options are disappearing. A flurry of doors slamming in Torreira’s face.

Where next for Arsenal’s Lucas Torreira?

There did appear to be some light at the end of a long and winding tunnel earlier this week, with Calciomercato reporting that Galatasaray had offered Torreira a three-year deal worth around £50,000-a-week in Istanbul. An offer the former Atletico Madrid man wasted little time in accepting. 

That was until Galatasaray entered talks to sign another London-based midfielder who has become something of a persona non grata in the English capital. Tiemoue Bakayoko, believe it or not, is still a Chelsea player. 

But not for much longer, perhaps. 

Tuttomercatoweb say that Galatasaray began negotiations to bring the £40 million forgotten man to Turkey on Wednesday. Things appear to be progressing quickly, too, with the Super Lig giants hoping to secure a deal as soon as possible. Preferably, before Sunday’s curtain raiser with Antalyaspor.

But where does this leave Torreira?

He and Bakayoko are hardly identical footballers. But it’s hard to imagine a Galatasaray with mountainous debts bringing in two deep-lying midfielders from the Premier League on big wages (The Athletic).  

According to Turkish publication Sporx, Gala always viewed Bakayoko as an ‘alternative’ to Torreira.  

Simply put, it’s a case of one or the other. Bakayoko or Torreira. And, as things stand, it feels a lot more likely that the former will be unveiled as a Galatasaray player than the latter.