Arsenal: Lucas Torreira ticks two big boxes

Arsenal are reportedly close to signing Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria for £22 million. The midfielder ticks two big boxes: defensive midfield solution and price.

Arsenal are looking to add to their sole official acquisition of the summer transfer window. While there may be many rumours that have suggested that the club is extremely close to a myriad of possible additions, there is actually only one confirmed to be at the Emirates next season, 34-year-old Stephan Lichtsteiner who was signed on a free.

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That said, it seems as though there could be more in the pipeline. And there is one individual in particular that I believe would be an especially astute addition: Sampdoria’s snappy, ball-hawking, ankle-biting defensive midfielder, Lucas Torreira.

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Per reports in Italy, Arsenal are nearing the £22 million signing of Torreira. They are allegedly willing to pay the release clause that exists in the Uruguayan’s contract and, while there is competition from a myriad of top European clubs, including Napoli who have chased him for some time in Italy, are the current frontrunners to secure his services. While it still remains to be seen if anything comes of the alleged interest, it is worth exploring the possibility of his addition.

Immediately, there are two huge boxes that are ticked off: The finding of a defensive midfield solution; the ability to address a major need without blowing a huge hole in the budget.

Firstly, and most importantly, Torreira is the perfect type of player that Arsenal should be pursuing to hopefully solve their defensive midfield problems, problems that have been present for well over a decade.

He is quick across the ground, sharp in the tackle — 2.8 tackles per 90 minutes in the Serie A last season –, reads the game excellently, boasting very good interception statistics of 2.0 interceptions per 90 minutes in the Serie A last season — Granit Xhaka, for comparison’s sake, averaged 1.0 interceptions per 90 minutes in the Premier League, and is then composed and creative in possession, able to thread forward passes for teammates in more advanced areas.

There are some reservations regarding his size and stature — 5-foot-6 is very small for a midfielder in the Premier League. But he makes up for such a physical disadvantage with great energy, effort, stamina and industry, exploiting his athletic gifts to overcome his lack of size. He would be an excellent defensive midfield signing.

And he would only cost £22 million. In today’s market, that is a bargain. Add in the financial constrictions that Arsenal are currently working under with a reported £50 million budget to address a number of positions of need, and this move only makes more sense.

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Torreira is not the perfect player. There is no such thing. There are compromises that must be made with every signing. But he ticks two very big boxes, and that makes him a must-sign target.