Arsenal are reportedly asking €35m for Lucas Torreira while Napoli are willing to offer €30m according to a report in Italy.

Il Mattino report that, despite Unai Emery leaving and a new manager being appointed in Mikel Arteta, ‘very little has changed’ in talks between the two clubs over the Uruguayan.

They also claim that the gap between what Arsenal want (€35m) and what Napoli are prepared to offer (€30m) can be closed using bonuses and other add-ons.

The midfielder made it clear he was not happy under Emery but I think most fans expected him to get a bit cheerier when the Magic Bean merchant was shown the door.

That being said, links between him and Napoli, who reportedly have him at the top of Gennaro Gattuso’s shopping list for January, refuse to quieten down.

Italy, of course, is a country Torreira already feels at home in and early reports he was struggling to settle in London might just carry some weight.

I must note that reports linking Torreira with Napoli have also claimed the Serie A club, who recently sacked Everton’s new manager, made a completely ridiculous offer for the player, so it’s hard to know what to trust.

When is that not the case, I guess.

I’d like to think Torreira will have a change of heart and give Arsenal another go. Under Unai Emery’s tutelage, I don’t think we’ve saw anywhere close to the best of him.

Freddie Ljungberg, however, started him in every league match after Emery was sacked. Under the Swede, the 23-year-old averaged 88 minutes while under Emery this season it was just 35.

I guess it all depends on how his chat with Mikel Arteta goes…

Who is Steve Round and what will he do at Arsenal with Mikel Arteta?