Sampdoria chief confirms Arsenal have secured £26 million deal for Uruguayan midfielder

Sampdoria chief Massimo Ferrero has confirmed that Uruguyan midfielder Lucas Torreira will join Arsenal at the end of the World Cup.

Torreira was a second-half substitute for La Celeste's 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and played 36 games for Sampdoria in the Serie A last season. Torreira will follow Swiss international defender Stephan Lichtsteiner and German goalkeeper Bernd Leno to the club as new manager Unai Emery looks to rebuild the squad following the departure of longtime manager Arsene Wenger. Ferrero confirmed in an interview with SportItalia that Torreira will move to the club for £26 million after the conclusion of Uruguay's World Cup campaign. https://twitter.com/Lacazettes/status/1007244530024960000 “Sampdoria do not sell unless there are excellent offers,” Ferrero told SportItalia. “We do not look for buyers. We have natural talents whose values increase exponentially. “Sampdoria is a stepping stone. It’s a family-run club and that allows players to grow up. It’s normal they have aspirations to play for big clubs, but I do not need to sell out. “Torreira has left for €30 million. I bought him from Pescara when no one believed. “We bet and we won, paying just €3 million. The money that comes in is used to keep the club going. “Sampdoria is a stepping stone. It’s a family-run club and that allows players to grow up.”