Arsenal to hold talks over deal to sign Facundo Torres

Arsenal are set to hold talks with the agent of Orlando City forward Facundo Torres over a potential move to North London this winter, according to the Evening Standard.

Mikel Arteta’s side have enjoyed a superb start to the new season and cemented their position at the top of the Premier League with an impressive 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.

However, the Gunners boss knows he needs to further strengthen his squad if Arsenal are to maintain their form during the second half of the season when they’ll also have domestic cups and the knockout stages of the Europa League to contend with.

Arsenal were expected to sign another winger in the summer but failed to land any of their targets before the deadline, so Arteta is now focused on bringing in a wide player during the January window.

The likes of Pedro Neto and Mykhaylo Mudryk have been strongly linked in recent months but the Evening Standard claims that Arsenal are now eyeing a shock swoop to sign Facundo Torres from MLS side Orlando City.

The newspaper says Gunners chiefs are set to open talks with the 22-year-old’s agents and Orlando City to discuss a possible move this winter after identifying the winger as a potential target.

Impressive

Torres only joined Orlando City from Uruguayan outfit Penarol back in January 2022 in a deal worth around £7.75m but he’s settled well in the United States.

The winger has scored 13 goals and provided a further 10 assists in his 40 games in all competitions so far, and his impressive form in front of goal has caught the attention of Arsenal scout Toni Lima.

The scout was appointed by Edu in 2021 and the Evening Standard says he has a strong track record of identifying South American talent having been one of the first to spot Neymar and Philippe Coutinho.

Lima’s data-driven approach appears to have identified Torres as a potential star and Arsenal saw first hand how effective he can be in the box after the Uruguayan international scored against the Gunners in a pre-season friendly in the summer.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Arsenal decide to push ahead with a move but Torres is comfortable playing on either wing so he’d provide support for Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka if he ends up moving to North London this winter.