Lucas Torreira relishing ‘fantastic’ Arsenal summer switch

UC Sampdoria’s Lucas Torreira is allegedly on his way to London from Moscow following Uruguay’s elimination from the 2018 World Cup, a 2-0 quarter-final loss against France, in order to supposedly finalise a ‘fantastic’ summer switch to Arsenal.

It’s believed that the Gunners and the Serie A outfit have struck a €30m agreement which would see the 22-year-old leave his current employers for the Emirates, a reasonable figure by today’s lofty transfer market standards.

Torreira, subject to a medical, would pen a long-term contract at the north-Londoners to ensure that he grows and develops with the club, with Unai Emery ultimately aiming to construct a formidable future in Arsenal’s dugout.

The inexhaustible midfielder, having formally been a rotational option, barged his way into Uruguay’s starting XI in Russia and proved his hardy credentials on the biggest stage on the planet, whilst showcasing to his tailing suitors exactly what they could have with him in their armoury.

In relation to his proposed journey to the capital, Torreira elatedly revealed – via a report published by the Daily Star:

“I would have been very happy to be able to return to Uruguay with my teammates, but this is a fantastic opportunity [to join Arsenal] and I do not want to waste it.”

A key component in Oscar Tabarez’s national set-up throughout the tournament, Torreira, of course, hadn’t always been a firm, trusted member of the squad, however having made his presence known from the off, he told Telenoche:

“It’s true that in the end I got into this squad, although I was not part of the qualifiers but happy with the performance I had personally.

“In the first games I entered the second half, I was gaining confidence until I won a place as a starter.”

A deal looks to have been in place for a number of weeks now, although it’s thought that negotiations were indeed put on hold until after Uruguay’s World Cup campaign came to a close, to allow Torreira the space to focus on international matters.

If Torreira is to grace the Premier League, he would become Emery’s fourth signing of the summer transfer window, an acquisition that would instil an assured element of hunger and adaptability into Arsenal’s midfield contingent.