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Home > Arsenal > £26m Arsenal Midfielder Looking to Make His Move Permanent With Club in Agreement; Is it The Right Call Though?

£26m Arsenal Midfielder Looking to Make His Move Permanent With Club in Agreement; Is it The Right Call Though?

Fabrizio Romano has reported that Fiorentina wants to make the loan deal of Lucas Torreira from Arsenal permanent. The club is more than happy with the Uruguayan’s performance and have a €15m option-to-buy clause in the contract. He has now fallen down the pecking order in Mikel Arteta’s midfield. The Gunners signed Torreira for £26 million from Sampdoria in June 2018.

Arsenal loaned out the 26-year-old to Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2021 for a season-long loan. He then later moved on to ACF Fiorentina in the 2021/22 season. Torreira since then has made 24 appearances in Serie A scoring 3 goals and providing 1 assist for Fiorentina. He plays as a defensive midfielder for Fiorentina starting 21 games out of a possible 24 matches in Serie A.

Fiorentina are challenging for a place in Europe as they are currently 8th in Seria A. Moreover, Torreira has had a huge contribution to La Viola’s successful season. Fiorentina have got 46 points in 28 games whereas Atalanta who are 6th on the table have scored 48 points in as many games. He has also recently scored the winner against Bologna adding three more points to his team’s tally.

Lucas Torreira has expressed his willingness to play in Europe with Fiorentina. The midfielder is hopeful of a permanent deal taking place between Arsenal and Fiorentina. This is what Lucas Torreira had to say to Sky Italia,

“I have rediscovered my joy both on and off the pitch. My future doesn’t depend on me, because Arsenal still own my contract. I am sure they will reach an agreement.”

“We have a great squad, a lovely atmosphere, these are great lads with a fantastic heart. We work every day to make the fans happy. Perhaps this was our least impressive performance in recent weeks, but we got the win, unlike other results. We are a great side and the objective is to take Fiorentina into Europe.”

How has the Uruguayan shone at Fiorentina?

Lucas Torreira is brilliant at passing the ball. Torreira is excellent in possession and looks very comfortable on the ball. He likes to play forward passes or long balls that catch the defenders ball watching. He is also capable of passing forward while splitting the opposition lines and creating a chance for his team with a threaded pass.

However, he does not do that as frequently as Andrea Pirlo or Sergio Busquets. He links his team’s defence and attack but rarely changes his position after completing a pass. Therefore, Torreira suits counter-attacking gameplay rather than a possession-based system. Sometimes he does hold on to the ball for a bit too long which forces him to play long passes or lose possession.

Lucas Torreira attributes, Lucas Torreira, Arsenal
Image obtained via WhoScored

These attributes show that his best ability is ball-winning. He thrives best with teams who press aggressive and high up on the pitch. He has very good intensity and will follow his man till the end if he gets beaten in a 1v1 situation. Torreira played as a central midfielder at Atletico Madrid in a 4-4-2 system where he used to get out of his line to delay the opposition’s progress.

He also forces his opposition to go wide which lets his team become compact in the central area of the pitch. Once Torreira forces his opponent in an uncomfortable position he then quickly gets back into position to keep the shape of his midfield. However, he plays as a defensive midfielder at Fiorentina where he plays a deeper role and only presses in specific situations.

Lucas Torreira heatmap, Lucas Torrreirra, Arsenal
Image obtained via SofaScore

Why is Arsenal letting Lucas Torreira join Fiorentina permanently?

Lucas Torreira has been vital for Fiorentina this season and has established himself as a guaranteed starter on the team-sheet. After such a successful season, some may be of the view that Arsenal should give Torreira a chance in London again. However, Arsenal already have enough players in that position and more players would be one too many in that department.

Although Arsenal need a midfielder, Torreira is not what they’re looking for. The Gunners need an orchestrator or a proper box-to-box midfielder who can also contribute to the attack. Torreira is the exact opposite of what Arsenal are looking for and he will struggle at the London club again.

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The heatmap suggests how much area in the midfield he covers throughout for Fiorentina. The Italian club have a better need for Torreira than Arsenal. The Gunners would also get €15 million if the move becomes permanent. Arsenal could use that to fund their moves for the priority signings, i.e. signing a few strikers and a midfielder.

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