:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60098689/697741024.jpg.0.jpg)
Arsenal are extremely close to signing goalkeeper Bernd Leno, and not quite as close to signing midfielder Lucas Torreira, according to David Ornstein:
Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Germany goalkeeper Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen. Not done but set to be decided today & expected 26-year-old will join #AFC - unclear which current GK would make way. Torreira pursuit ongoing - optimism but not done & #WorldCup delays it
— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) June 18, 2018
Leno, a keeper for Bayer Leverkusen, is one of Sven Mislintat’s top targets, despite a few mistakes of the sort that Arsenal is looking to avoid in the future. Leverkusen recently bought a keeper themselves, so they probably won’t try too hard to hang onto Leno. There have also been rumors involving Petr Cech and Napoli, although Cech just claimed the number 1 shirt, so it seems unlikely that he’ll leave this coming season.
Meanwhile, Ornstein’s update on Sampdoria’s Torreira isn’t very different from his last one. This deal is already mostly done—negotiations are centered on the method of payment, with Arsenal wanting to pay the transfer fee over time rather than all at once—but an official announcement may be a few weeks off still, as Torreira is currently in Russia with Uruguay. He won’t be available to sign anything until Uruguay’s World Cup run is over, but we’ll at least get to see him play a little. He came on as a substitute in Uruguay’s Group A game against Egypt, and our next opportunities to watch him will be on Wednesday, June 20th, against Saudi Arabia, and Monday, June 25th, against Russia.