Everyone in Florence loves Lucas Torreira. The Uruguayan midfield general was nails in his lone season with the Viola, adding equal parts needle and verve to the center of the park and doing everything that supporters want to see out of their midfielders. His departure was a huge bummer, one that cast a cloud over Daniele Pradè (who never dropped the ball on a fan favorite again). When the news leaked out a couple days ago that Fiorentina might bring him back, the reaction was extra joyful as it felt
like righting an old wrong.
This is Fiorentina, of course, and it’s never that easy. There are a couple roadblocks to any deal, even though Nicolò Schira reports that club and player have found mutually agreeable terms. The first is the current Viola roster: it’s chock full of midfielders. Nicolò Fagioli is undroppable as the regista as he’s the only reliable progressive passer in the engine room. Christ Inao Oulaï cost the club at least €25 million, which makes him the obvious understudy. Arthur Atta, Cher Ndour, Marco Brescianini, Rolando Mandragora (remember him?), and Giovanni Fabbian are competing for the remaining 2-3 spots.
The only way to surmount this obstacle is selling at least two midfielders. Since Oulaï’s just arrived, that means Nicky Beans would have to go to make room for Torreira. Schira claims that should Fagioli depart (a real possibility), Oulaï would step into the XI and Torreira would serve as his backup. With Fagioli gone, though, one of Mandragora, Fabbian, or perhaps Brescianini (who’s been fantastic in preseason) would also have to go. With time running out in this transfer window, that’s a lot of work to get through in a short time.
The other issue is the structure of the deal itself. Galatasaray just extended Torreira last year and has him under contract until 2028. The reigning Superlig champions won’t want to break up a winning team, particularly its midfield linchpin. They reportedly want either an outright purchase or a loan with an obligation to buy, while Paratici prefers a loan with an option. Nobody credible has mentioned how big a fee we’re talking. My best guess is that it’d be around €10 million but the error margin is probably €5 million either way.
Torreira’s doing his part to make it happen, calling up Grosso to state his case. From what I can tell, Galatasaray fans are divided on his departure: he’s been outspoken in his calls for a higher salary in Istanbul but is also the team’s best midfielder. Despite having 33 senior players on the roster, Gala’s still looking to buy; perhaps the interest in Spurs’ Pape Matar Sarr is a hint.
I’d love to see Torreira with Fiorentina again, even if his powers are no longer at their peak. He seemed to fit right in and, if he’s comfortable with a reduced role, I can imagine him being a fantastic backup and vibes guy. I mean, the dude got a tooth knocked out and kept playing; that’s the sort of contagiously enthusiastic grinta that you want. What went wrong with Pradè back in 2022 remains unclear but had something to do with a last-minute alteration of the salary offered or demanded. Bringing Toothless Lucas back would close that circle in an emotionally satisfying way.
I don’t like the idea of ditching Fagioli to bring in Torreira, though. I’m lower on Beans than consensus but his profile is necessary in this team, especially because Oulaï isn’t a sure thing for this year. Unless some Premier League team makes an enormous offer for Fagioli (read: €30 million), it’s not worth scrambling Grosso’s tactical plan just to close out some unfinished business.
