Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira's proposed permanent move to Fiorentina is on the verge of collapsing, according to the player's agent.
The Uruguay international endured a difficult loan spell at Atletico Madrid in the 2020-21 season but reignited his career during a stint with La Viola in 2021-22.
Torreira made a total of 35 appearances for Fiorentina in all competitions last term, including 26 starts in Serie A, which brought him five goals and two assists.
The 26-year-old's contributions helped Fiorentina secure seventh place and a spot in the Europa Conference League playoff round, and he has been widely expected to complete a permanent move to La Viola.
Torreira's loan deal at Fiorentina is understood to include a £12.5m purchase option, but the midfielder's agent Pablo Bentancur has now admitted that his client is unlikely to remain with the club beyond the summer.
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"The chances of Lucas staying in Florence are very small - even if it's not over yet," Bentancur told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli, as quoted by the Evening Standard.
Torreira would supposedly only have earned £45,000 per week with a permanent Fiorentina contract, but the Italian giants are thought to be hopeful of driving the £12.5m fee down or agreeing a lower salary with the player.
The former Sampdoria man was tipped to head back to South America last year following the death of his mother, but his agent has confirmed that no other clubs are currently in the running.
"The issue between him and the Viola is a contractual problem, it won't take much to clarify with Fiorentina and my priority is to find an agreement with them," Bentancur added when speaking to CalcioNapoli 24.
"For now, he is not thinking about other teams because he is very happy in Florence and is loved by the fans. The problem is only contractual, [agent] commissions have nothing to do with it."
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Torreira enjoyed a productive early spell at Arsenal under Unai Emery but began to struggle when deployed in a more advanced role, and he soon fell out of favour under Mikel Arteta.
The Uruguayan only started 17 Premier League games in the 2019-20 season, with Arteta often preferring Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka in the middle of the park that year.
Torreira has registered a total of four goals and six assists in 89 appearances for Arsenal since his 2018 arrival, and his contract with the Gunners now has less than 18 months left to run.
Earlier this month, Arsenal revealed that Gabriel Martinelli had been handed Torreira's number 11 shirt for the 2022-23 season, prompting the latter to jokingly reply: "What number will I wear next year?" on Instagram.
Arsenal are expected to try to recoup a fee for Torreira should a move to Fiorentina fall through, but their need for midfield reinforcements has lessened following Mohamed Elneny's contract renewal.
Ben Knapton
