Torreira, a 22-year-old defensive midfielder, emerged as one of the breakout stars in Serie A this past season, with the South American’s combination of tenacity, passing range and eye for goal having proven crucial to the fortunes of Marco Giampaolo’s men. Torreira started 36 of Samp’s 38 league outings, racking up 4 goals and an assist in the process.
Unsurprisingly, the performances of the Uruguayan international, who received a call-up to Óscar Tabárez’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, have seen Torreira linked with a whole host of top clubs, with Juventus and Napoli having previously been viewed as the most-likely possible destinations for the midfielder.
But, after Juve seemingly cooled their interest in the former Pescara man, and Napoli were reported to have switched their attentions to Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele following Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment at the Stadio San Paolo, rumours quickly began to mount that Premier League outfit Arsenal had moved into the driver’s seat for Torreira.