Arsenal’s Ceballos deal may clear way for Torreira to join Fiorentina

I’ll level with you. I don’t really care all that much about anything going on at Arsenal. That’s nothing against them; I don’t really care about the Premier League all that much in general. However, the recent announcement that Dani Ceballos has rejoined the Gunners on loan from Real Madrid is pretty interesting to me, and that’s because it could well mean that Lucas Torreira is now free for his move to Fiorentina.

This backs up the buzz about the FA Cup holders agreeing to terms with the Viola about terms for a deal: a loan with an initial €8 million fee (yikes) with an additional €16 million to make the move permanent at season’s end. That’s obviously a significant investment from Rocco Commisso and company, but it’s still a pretty good deal for a player of Torreira’s quality, even if he’ll join an already-stacked midifield.

Should the Uruguayan make the switch, he’d join Sofyan Amrabat, Gaetano Castrovilli, Erick Pulgar, Alfred Duncan, and now (we’re still waiting for the official announcement but it should be coming soon) Giacomo Bonaventura. That’s six very good players for three midfield spots, which seems excessive for a Viola team that doesn’t have European competition to help everyone get minutes. It could also be the latest indication that Pulgar is on his way out, just a year after signing from Bologna.

No matter what else happens, though, Torreira-to-Fiorentina is worth getting excited about. As we’ve written before, he’s an excellent player, still just 24 years old, and has proven his worth in Serie A with Sampdoria. Paired with Amrabat in a double pivot with Castrovilli a bit higher up, he could create the finest Viola midfield we’ve seen since the demise of Borja Valero, David Pizarro, and Alberto Aquilani.

Again, nothing is certain here. All evidence that Torreira’s en route to Florence is either circumstantial (and Arsenal have the financial strength to hang onto him if they want) or poorly-sourced from Twitter accounts with names like @GunnerGossip2. But, if Ceballos was the final domino that sends Lucas to Tuscany, we can all be plenty happy. Puzzled, yes, but happy.