Official: Arsenal sign Lucas Torreira

The wait is over… it's #TimeForTorreira

Welcome to Arsenal, @LTorreira34  pic.twitter.com/wnUDYuDMeS

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 10, 2018

Twenty-two-year-old Torreira left home at 17, packing his bags for Italy to join Pescara before having even kicked a ball in his homeland.

A tricky no.10, he’d impressed since moving to the capital to join Montevideo Wanderers in 2013 and was immediately snapped up by the Italian club, who themselves didn’t see much of him before Sampdoria came calling.

Torreira agreed to join Samp in July 2015 but remained at Pescara for a second season, which would prove the making of him. In an increasing trend in European football, Torreira followed in the footsteps of the likes of Leandro Paredes as he was converted from an attacking midfielder into a defensive one.
“It was pre-season training and the club told me to take a look at him and said, ‘If not, we’ll send him back to Uruguay’,” then coach Massimo Oddo told La Repubblica . “I saw in him a football intelligence, personality, physical strength... but he always wanted the ball at his feet. So, I told him, ‘Why don’t you play as a defensive midfielder instead of the playmaker?’ I put him in the first team immediately.”

Operating deeper, Torreira found the space he needed to conduct the play and led Pescara to promotion, immediately earning comparisons to a former alumni, Marco Verratti.

“If Torreira were 1.8 metres tall, he would already cost €100million and would be considered among the strongest playmakers in the world,” Sampdoria coach Marco Giampaolo told Corriere dello Sport. “He can play it short or long, wins the ball back, restarts play and always seems to know where the ball will be. He’ll go to a big club that does not care so much about his stature.”

296 - Lucas Torreira made the most recoveries (296) among the outfield players in Serie A in the 2017-18 campaign. Worker. pic.twitter.com/NfrVhQuuDl

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) June 9, 2018

Lucas Torreira: Has won possession in the midfield third more times (317) than any other player since the start of the 2016/17 Serie A season

For more player stats -- https://t.co/oYGEcrcQOh pic.twitter.com/p79IddTEFP

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) July 5, 2018

Lucas Torreira: Has made more tackles + interceptions combined (356) than any other player since the start of the 2016/17 Serie A season

For more player stats -- https://t.co/oYGEcqVfpH pic.twitter.com/dxYuLrozXn

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) June 13, 2018

Positioning. Pressing. Intensity.

The most comprehensive tactical analysis of @LTorreira34 https://t.co/zhIgC1egWS

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 13, 2018

Lucas Torreira:

"I try to look up to the best players and steal something from all of them. It is true that I really like Verratti. I spent two years in his former club Pescara and supporters compared me to him. I went on checking his style and I liked it." #afc pic.twitter.com/E019O4gjwc

— LTArsenal (@ltarsenal) July 13, 2018

He's transformed @Arsenal, according to @adrianjclarke

How much has @LTorreira34 impressed you? https://t.co/nQSnOC0QMO pic.twitter.com/rb6pXv4bOH

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 16, 2018

TORREIRA'S TRANSFORMATION

We speak to Lucas Torreira's youth team coach about his surprise transformation from talented attacker into the holding midfielder Arsenal needed: https://t.co/F5UsMwW47G pic.twitter.com/yPS04IlF4K

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 22, 2018

Emery on Torreira: "This season it's the first match that he was feeling physically very good. He was able to go from box to box and I want to use his quality. He can give us good pressing, and he can win the ball high up the pitch to give us the possession to score." #Arsenal pic.twitter.com/oaSRvYGY3A

— AFCMike (@AFCPW) September 20, 2019