AC Milan are reportedly preparing their first offer for Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira as the Gunners face a battle to keep him this summer.
The 23-year-old only arrived at the Emirates from Sampdoria 12 months ago, as he went on to play 50 times last season and in addition to his tireless defensive work, he added two goals and five assists to his work too.
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With that in mind, Unai Emery will certainly hope that he can continue to be as influential next season as Arsenal try to get back into the Champions League, but the Spanish tactician may suffer a blow as Torreira continues to be linked with a return to Italy with Milan.
As noted by Calciomercato, the Uruguayan international is a priority for the Italian giants, as it could set up a reunion with his former Sampdoria boss Marco Giampaolo, who was announced as their new coach last week.
It’s added that Arsenal want €40m to allow the midfield ace to leave north London, and that Milan are now putting together their first offer as they look to add a crucial piece to Giampaolo’s squad.
With the likes of Tiemoue Bakayoko, Riccardo Montolivo, Jose Mauri and Andrea Bertolacci all leaving this summer, it leaves Milan with a real problem in midfield in terms of lacking both quality and depth.
As a result, they will need to prioritise that area of their squad, and Torreira appears to be at the top of the transfer shortlist to give their new boss a player who knows his system and style of play well and will seemingly fit in perfectly and immediately to give him a helping hand.
In contrast, it’s surely a nightmare scenario for Emery as he will be desperate to strengthen his squad rather than spend the summer replacing outgoing players, but perhaps the money raised by a Torreira sale could be reinvested back into the squad and so he may find that strategy appealing.
