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Football London
Football London
Sport
Chris Wheatley

Arsenal midfielder exit to be confirmed as Mikel Arteta makes key transfer decision

Lucas Torreira is expected to join Fiorentina in a permanent deal this summer, football.london understands. Torreira has made 24 appearances in all competitions for La Viola and recently scored in the 1-1 draw against Inter Milan - the same game in which he lost a tooth.

Torreira, 26, joined the Italian side on loan from Arsenal last summer and has become a key figure in their midfield this season. A buy option for around £13million is included in the deal, with Fiorentina currently in negotiations over making the move permanent.

Since joining from Sampdoria in 2018, Torreira has played 89 times for Arsenal with four goals and six assists to his name. However, he hasn't played for the Gunners since July 2020. He recently wrote a letter to Italian news outlet Cronache Di Spogliatoio about his time in the Gunners’ dressing room.

READ MORE: New Arsenal Adidas kit: Launch date for 'leaked' 2022/23 home shirt as £300m deal is vindicated

"Every time I go to the national team, I try to make the most of my proximity to certain champions," he wrote. "I have been lucky enough to meet many of them. At Arsenal, the first year, I didn’t speak English, but some in the team spoke Italian, like Sokratis, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

"In the dressing room, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette sat next to me. Madness. You can imagine: me drinking mate, and them next to me. Here we are, in London. Remember when I told you about Fray Bentos meat? I didn’t leave the house much, I had a person who often brought me shopping.

"One day, I go to the supermarket, and browsing the shelves, I see a label with the name of my city: 'Made in Fray Bentos'. Just like me. A village of 25,000 inhabitants in the London aisles. It was thrilling. It was a tin, yes, but it was exciting."

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