The Unai Emery revolution has begun, and the Spaniard is meticulously putting into action a recruitment plan at Arsenal with the help of Sven Mislintat. Already this summer a right-back in Stephan Lichtsteiner has been signed, and a centre-back in Sokratis Papastathopoulos is on the way along with a goalkeeper and central midfielder.
That central midfielder is going to be Uruguayan international, Lucas Torreira. Reports confirm that the Uruguayan has signed a four-year deal with the Gunners after the North London club submitted a bid that would eclipse the 23-year-old’s release clause in instalments.
Ever since Santi Cazorla Achilles heel became a problem, Arsenal has been in dire need of a new CM addition. The uncertain futures of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey have made this a signing of the utmost importance. Lucas Torreira’s arrival fills a gaping hole in the Arsenal’s squad, taking Unai Emery one step closer to moulding Arsenal into his own.
Here’s what Lucas Torreira would bring to Arsenal.
Profile:
Age: 22
Position: Central Midfielder
Nationality: Uruguayan
Club: Sampdoria
Right-Footed
What does Lucas Torreira excel at?
Hard-Working: Lucas Torreira is a small but tenacious midfielder that prides himself on his out of this world work rate. That’s why the 22-year-old averaged 2.6 tackles and 2 interceptions a game in 36 Serie A appearances. Torreira will bring a certain level of energy and enthusiasm to Arsenal’s midfield that hasn’t been present since the days of Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit.
Comfortable Passer: The Uruguayan is notoriously known for his tendency to switch flanks constantly throughout games. At the base of the midfield, Torreira often dictates the pace of his team’s passing and sets the tone for their attacking mentality. In 36 Serie A appearances, the 22-year-old maintained an impressive 87.2% passing accuracy while attempting 2.8 long balls a game and created one chance a game.
In his first press conference as Arsenal manager, Unai Emery categorically stated that he intends to use the concepts of ‘pressing’ and possession at the Emirates. Torreira perfectly fits into that philosophy as he encompasses the best of both those styles.
Who makes way?
The footballing business is a tough one, and it’s all about what have you done for me lately, not in the past. Sadly, Jack Wilshere hasn’t impressed recently, despite having a close to fully fit campaign last season.
In 38 appearances last season, the Englishman only directly contributed to seven goals, that’s not enough in today’s climate. As of today, Wilshere is a free agent, and it looks as though the club won’t be renewing his contract, in order to make room financially for Lucas Torreira.
How would he fit in?
Tactically speaking, the 22-year-old can play in a number of roles. In Serie A, he’s been versatile enough to play in each of the three midfield positions; DM, box-to-box CM and advanced CM. Depending on whether Emery plays a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, Torreira would most probably be deployed as a B2B or CM alongside Granit Xhaka who would be holding. If needs be, the Uruguayan could also play as a defensive midfielder shielding the back four.
