Arsenal are reportedly in talks to sign Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira from Serie A side Sampdoria.

Torreira started his youth football career at hometown club 18 de Julio, before joining Montevideo Wanderers’ youth team. He then moved to Italy in 2013, where he joined Pescara’s youth side.

He was called up to the Pescara first team during the 14/15 season and his senior debut in Serie B in 2015. That summer, he was snapped up by Sampdoria for €1.5 million, but he remained with Pescara on loan for the 2015–16 season to gain first-team experience.

Now, having become a regular for Sampdoria over the last two seasons, he has attracted all sorts of attention from clubs around Europe.

The Gunners are said to be the front-runners to sign the Uruguayan international, with the North London side hoping to complete a deal worth around £26m for the midfielder.

No agreement has been reached yet for Torreira, and it is not believed a deal will be struck until after the World Cup.

Torreira would become the Gunners’ third signing of the summer, having already signed Swiss defender Stephan Lichtsteiner on a free from Juventus, and agreed a deal in principle with Borussia Dortmund centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos – a deal which will be confirmed in July.