TOO LATE? Arsenal could have been looks set to REBUILD his career in Spain
He was one of the most promising signings for the Gunners, but now he's looking for a new start in LaLiga
Some transfers simply weren't destined to work. Sometimes it's the club, sometimes it's the player, sometimes it's something entirely out of their control, but these things happen all the time, and such seems to be the case for Lucas Torreira's move to Arsenal.
Lucas Torreira had everything to succeed at Arsenal, but things just didn't work out
The Uruguayan arrived at the Emirates Stadium as a 22-year-old, fresh from a thrilling season at Sampdoria were he emerged as one of the most interesting prospects for his position, the holding midfielder. Torreira, already a full international for Uruguay by then, looked to have every tool to be a success at Arsenal, showing tenacity, determination and the endless engine necessary to play in the Premier League.
Things started well, with Torreira having increasingly impressive performances for the new-look Arsenal under Unai Emery as part of a midfield trio with Granit Xhaka and Mesut Özil. He was absolutely everywhere in a Arsenal's hardfought 1-1 draw vs Liverpool in early November 2018, a performance that earned him many plaudits.
However, things slowly began to turn. He was moved by Emery to a box-to-box role as a consequence of the coaches fall out with Özil, and Torreira's performances dwindled in a role he was unfamiliar with and probably unsuited for, until he was dropped from the starting team.
His minutes decreased in the disaster that was the second season of the Emery era at Arsenal, and he was shifted to Atlético Madrid for the first full season of Mikel Arteta's reign. It would be a disappointing experience for Torreira, who never found his footing under Simeone and returned to Arsenal having played barely over 500 minutes.
Another loan the following season, this time to Fiorentina, saw a much improved Torreira. However, against the player's wishes, La Viola chose not to make the move permanent, and this threatened to leave him orphaned again, with another year in his Arsenal contract.
It could be another tenacious holding midfielder who comes to the rescue, Gennaro Gattuso. The former AC Milan great is the new manager of Valencia in Spain, and if someone was to see the value of a manic ball-chaser like Torreira, it would be him.
"We have reached an agreement with Valencia, Gattuso wants him. We are gonna discuss with Arsenal - Arteta wants to see him in the pre season", commented Torreira's agent to a newspaper in Uruguay, "He had great numbers with AFC but we've pre agreement with Valencia".
Torreira showed glimpses of his best self at Fiore, but the club did not want a permanent move
Staying in the path of players who are clearly not in contention is one of Mikel Arteta's less positive traits, such as he did with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Calum Chambers and Eddie Nketiah to a degree. However, with Arsenal looking to add a number of players, it might be that the relent and let go of a move that never worked, and that might be the best thing for Lucas Torreira.
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