Football

AC Milan drop Lucas Torreira pusruit to focus on Arsenal transfer target Dennis Praet


Lucas Torreira has been heavily linked with a summer transfer to AC Milan (Picture: Getty)

AC Milan are set to drop their interest in Lucas Torreira and switch their focus to Sampdoria’s Dennis Praet.

Torreira enjoyed an impressive debut campaign following his move to Arsenal last summer, but fueled speculation surrounding his future by conceding he had struggled to acclimatise to life in England.

The Uruguay international’s admission has prompted Milan to test the waters and tempt Arsenal, who need to sell players in order to boost their measly £40million transfer budget, to part company with the 23-year-old.

New Milan manager Marco Giampaolo worked with Torreira during their time together at Sampdoria and had hoped to make the player the centre piece of a new-look midfield engine room.

The Serie A club, who on Friday were forced to withdraw from next season’s Europa League due to FFP breaches, are reported to have put together an audacious £4.5m two-season loan deal, with an additional fee of around £25m to make his move permanent at the end of that period.

Arsenal have dismissed that proposal out of hand and given their determination to resist any offers for Torreira, Milan will now look elsewhere, according to Sky Italia.

Praet was reported to have been the subject of join £41m bid from Arsenal, who also want his Sampdoria teammate Joachim Andersen, earlier in the summer window.

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Dennis Praet and Joachim Andersen of Sampdoria

MORE: How Sampdoria duo Dennis Praet and Joachim Andersen can solve two of Unai Emery’s biggest issues at Arsenal

Sampdoria value the creative midfielder at around £25m and the player’s agent had hoped that his client’s future would be resolved imminently when he spoke earlier this month.

‘Everybody knows what Giampaolo thinks of Dennis. For now, I can’t say anything else,’ said Martin Riha.

‘AC Milan is an important brand, it’s a big name. But there are also other clubs that want to sign him, especially abroad, they’ve already shown their interest.’

On whether Arsenal specifically had lodge a formal interest in Praet, he said: ‘I can’t add anything else now, I think you can understand.

‘Dennis is a complete footballer and he is ready to join a big club. ‘There are many clubs interested, we’ll know everything in a few weeks.’





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