Arsenal: Lucas Torreira doesn’t come close to replacing Granit Xhaka

Arsenal are nearing the completion of an exiting transfer for Lucas Torreira, but that doesn’t mean the end of Granit Xhaka. Quite the contrary.

Arsenal’s transfer window had to be smart and frugal, and they look to be continuing that trend with reports that they are nearing the completion of a £22m move for Sampdoria midfielder Lucas Torreira.

The Uruguayan started out as the Carlos Tevez type – a combative striker – but has since settled into a versatile midfield role, where he serves as equal parts enforcer, goal threat and all-around engine.

It’s no secret that this pending arrival will bolster the Arsenal midfielder and potentially give them the exact type of midfielder they need – a mixture of N’Golo Kante and Santi Cazorla. But this arrival means nothing negative towards Granit Xhaka.

Related Story: 3 Players Impacted By Lucas Torreira Arrival

There was a theory posited that Torreira could give the Gunners the ‘luxury’ of benching Xhaka in favor of a midfield two, to be split with Aaron Ramsey, with Mesut Ozil then playing a more central role.

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This is a bad idea. For starters, despite how wonderful Ozil is, putting him right in the middle of everything has proven to be a bit of a risky endeavor in the past, as there are, without doubt, games where he just isn’t at his best.

Then there is the matter of what a midfield two of Ramsey/Torreira lacks, and it’s quite simple – it lacks control. Both Ramsey and Torreira are engines, yes, and they are also strong ball-winners, mostly the latter, but they are also undersized and lose possession far more than Granit Xhaka.

The Swiss midfielder has a very specific purpose – to control the tempo and distribute the ball with pinpoint accuracy. Ramsey and Torreira don’t have either of those. They are too high-octane to do so. Pairing Ramsey’s flair for the dramatics with Torreira’s unstoppable drive is a great combo, but there needs to be some semblance of control so that the midfield isn’t flying high and loose throughout the course of every match.

As it stands, keeping a steady and strong midfield three far outweighs the benefits of moving Ozil back into the center of the pitch. The benefits have already piled up before you even get into moving Ozil at all.

Next: 3 Things Lucas Torreira Brings

Xhaka and Torreira will work wonderfully together, not separately. This is a team that can benefit from such a midfield trio, especially given the weaknesses on defense last year, so let that stability gain its footing before we go talking about shifting formations to drop Xhaka.