Torreira saga rumbles on as player’s agent responds to Commisso’s words

After Rocco Commisso today expressed his anger at the Lucas Torreira situation which exploded as soon as our season ended, the player’s agent has once again had his say.

Fiorentina’s president did say that he would not be talking about the transfer market, but could hardly avoid the topic that all fans are talking about. Rocco spoke of his disappointment at what had happened in the 24 hours after the team had achieved European qualification. Claiming that the news was spread by those who wanted to profit from the situation, the target of his anger was, as usual, the player’s agent.

He accused the Fiorentina fans and media of yet again falling for the words of an agent, just like they did with Gattuso, and have now organised a petition for the club to keep Torreira. Rocco also insisted that this type of behaviour by agents won’t work with him and will only make him even more ruthless and tougher to deal with. While he did say that there was still the possibility of relooking at the situation in the coming weeks, he refused to express either optimism or pessimism.

Shortly after Rocco had his say, calciomercato expert Gianluca Di Marzio contacted Torreira’s agent, Pablo Bentancur, for his reaction. Bentancur insisted that the friction between himself and the club had nothing to do with an exaggerated request for commission. That commission should be in the range of 5 to 10% of the player’s price. The main problem is the player’s salary.

Torreira’s current salary is 1.8 million, while the agreement already in place with Fiorentina should see that rise to 2.75 million. The player has no intention of reducing a salary already agreed 12 months ago, which is also lower than that received from Arsenal. The loan agreement had also included a clause which meant that with Torreira making more than 25 appearances, Fiorentina didn’t need to pay the fee of 1.5 million.

The payment to Arsenal of 15 million could also be paid in six installments of 2.5 million, which was an agreement that the agent had managed to make with the English club. Having brought these advantages to Fiorentina, Bentancur believes he is entitled to a commission on the definitive passage of the player from Arsenal to Fiorentina.

We now await further clarification from Fiorentina, possibly from Daniele Pradè in the coming days. If the problem is the player’s salary, then it makes little sense. An agreement had been made at the time of the loan, and after Torreira’s performances this season, then surely, he deserves the wages already agreed upon.

Given Rocco’s history it’s to be imagined that the agent’s requests may turn out to be the issue. If what the agent says is true, then it doesn’t seem an exaggerated commission, and in today’s football world, then it seems perfectly normal. The ball is now in Fiorentina’s court, let’s see what happens next, as the fans continue their petition, and will not take kindly to losing their new idol.