The Uruguayan’s strong World Cup showing earned him a move to the Premier League – but Arsenal were not the only club interested in his services
The agent of young Arsenal star Lucas Torreira has revealed that the midfielder had the chance to join Napoli over the summer before opting for the Emirates Stadium.
Torreira, 22, came to prominence as a part of the Uruguay team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The then-Sampdoria player impressed with his battling performances in the middle of the park, leading to a gaggle of suitors once the Celeste’s participation ended with defeat to France.
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Arsenal eventually snapped up the youngster in a deal worth £26 million (€30m/$34m), and he has gone on to feature in all three of the Gunners’ Premier League games so far this season.
But according to Torreira’s agent, his fate may well have been different had Carlo Ancelotti been announced earlier as Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli successor.
“It’s a pity, I’m sorry Ancelotti wasn’t there at the start of the negotiation,” Pablo Bentancur explained to Radio Crc.
“He’d have been a great help for Torreira, he has tremendous international experience.
“But then Lucas called me and he confirmed to me that negotiations with Arsenal were too advanced for any second thoughts.
“If Arsenal had collapsed then Napoli would have been perfect.”
Despite that brush with the Serie A club, Bentancur affirmed that his client was delighted to be at Arsenal and involved in Unai Emery’s first-team plans.
“Arsenal satisfied all of our requests, even paying €5m more than the release clause,” he added.
“He’s adapting well to the Premier League, he’s settling well and he’s happy.”