Arsenal already have a player who's as determined as Vieira, he could save Arteta millions now - TBR View

By Shamanth Jayaram

Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira is set to return this summer, and Mikel Arteta really should consider keeping the Uruguayan and giving him another chance at the Emirates Stadium.

The 26-year-old joined Arsenal back in 2018, and after two seasons at the Emirates, he was sent out on loan. He joined Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2020 and won the league there. He then moved to Fiorentina on loan last year and he has had a splendid campaign.

It looked almost certain that Fiorentina would sign Torreira on a permanent deal this summer. They even had a clause included in the loan deal that allowed them to, but that seems like it’s not going to happen.

Reports revealed that the Serie A club wanted a discount on the fee that was previously agreed, but Arsenal declined. As a result, Torreira will be coming back to North London for pre-season – unless he finds a new club by then.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta should keep Lucas Torreira

In his debut season at Arsenal, Torreira showed the world what he was all about. He was absolutely incredible for the Gunners in that number six role and even popped up in the box to score two hugely important goals.

The Uruguayan’s quality on the ball, aggression in his challenges and positional awareness out of possession made him an instant fan favourite at the Emirates, but everything changed for him in his second season.

Unai Emery felt it was a good idea to play Torreira in a more advanced role. There were times when he’d be the most attack-minded midfielder on the pitch, which is clearly not his game.

The talented midfielder lost his confidence and never quite recovered. Arteta gave him a few opportunities, but after Torreira suffered a terrible ankle injury at Portsmouth, it quickly became clear that he had fallen down the pecking order.

Now, with Arsenal in need of a midfielder and Torreira’s move to Fiorentina a no-go, the Uruguayan could well save Arsenal millions in the transfer market – if Arteta decides to give him another opportunity.

The exact same determination as Patrick Vieira

During his spectacular debut season, Torreira impressed everybody. He was viewed as the missing link in Arsenal’s puzzle, and some even went on to compare his impact to that of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva back in the Gunners’ glory days.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown was one of them, and the Englishman once claimed that although Torreira doesn’t quite have the physical stature that Vieira did, both midfielders share the exact same determination.

Keown said, as quoted by Goal: “It was the best all-round midfield display I have seen in an Arsenal shirt since Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva used to run the show. Torreira and Vieira could not be more different in terms of size and stature but their drive and determination is exactly the same.

“His tireless running gave Arsenal an extra body all over the pitch. You got the sense that if he could, he would happily do everyone else’s job!”

Torreira is still only 26 and hasn’t even reached his prime years yet. If Arteta reconsiders his decision to let him go and decides to give the Uruguayan another opportunity at Arsenal, he could form one of the best central midfield partnerships in the Premier League alongside Thomas Partey next season.