OFFICIAL: Fiorentina get Torreira

Finally putting an end to what’s surely been calcio’s worst-kept secret over the past couple of days, Fiorentina announced the signing of Lucas Torreira today. The 25-year-old, who rose to prominence with Sampdoria, returns to Italy after a difficult spell at Arsenal. The formula of the deal is a €1.5 million loan fee with a further €15 million due at season’s end if the Viola so choose or if the player hits certain objectives.

Fiorentina have coveted the Uruguay international for quite some time, so Daniele Pradè and Joe Barone must be thrilled to get their man. Torreira should slot into Vincenzo Italiano’s XI immediately as the regista, which is his best position. He excels particularly in two areas: passing the ball forward through the lines and pressing, as evidenced by his numbers on Fbref. As those are the two primary duties of the deepest midfielder in Italiano’s system, it looks like a match made in heaven.

While Torreira’s an excellent player, the criticism he’s received (often unfairly) in England has centered around his goal-scoring return and his inability to win aerial duels. The latter shouldn’t be a huge problem with Nikola Milenković behind him, but the former is a bit of a concern in a team whose midfielders contributed just 9 goals last term. His arrival also poses questions about the futures of Erick Pulgar and Sofyan Amrabat.

For now, though, we should definitely celebrate his arrival. Torreira is talented, just entering his prime, and fits Fiorentina’s tactics perfectly. This looks like a fantastic bit of work late in the window (a Pradè specialty) and we can’t wait to see the new acquisition in action. Welcome Lucas!