Lucas Torreira has no interest in returning to Arsenal just to warm the Emirates Stadium's bench again, reportedly demanding game time to stay in London.
The Uruguayan's loan spell at Atletico Madrid is set to end in just three months – an experiment all parties are likely to see as a failure. Torreira has started just three times under Diego Simeone in LaLiga, completing 90 minutes once.
The midfielder was sent to Madrid to boost his value after it became clear Mikel Arteta couldn't work Torreira into his system. With two years left on his deal, it's a crucial summer for the 25-year-old.
Torreira is 'happy' to return to north London but only if he's given assurances he'll play, according to the Athletic.
Having landed from Sampdoria in the 2018 summer ready for Unai Emery's first season in N5, Torreira made a roaring start to his Gunners career.
A string of superb performances in the first half of the season had Gooners drooling, believing they were watching a player fit to dictate the play in their midfield for a generation.
A talismanic display in his first North London derby, a 4-2 win, really ramped up the excitement, before his performances tailed off a little in the second half of the campaign. We haven't seen that stunning form since.
In Spain the Torreira has played only a bit-part role in Atletico's season, which so far has Simeone's men four points clear at the top.
In their last four matches Torreira has only seen 18 minutes of action, looking unlikely to win Simeone over and tempt the club into a permanent move before the summer.