Arsenal: Everything could hinge on Lucas Torriera, for better or worse

Arsenal’s explosion into the Lucas Torreira transfer theater has set expectations incredibly high. This can be a good thing, but it could be bad, too.

The thing about Arsenal fans is once we get the scent of something we want/need, it takes a massive distraction to pull us away from it. Such is the case with the current transfer rumors and Lucas Torreira.

I doubt if many fans were high on the Uruguayan before he was linked, but now that he is front and center in the spotlight, nothing else will do.

His arrival into the transfer spectrum couldn’t be better timed. Santi Cazorla has departed back to Spain, heart-breakingly so. Jack Wilshere isn’t likely to sign on for the future, another emotional jab to the kidney.

The solution that is needed to step in and take over from these two is going to have to work on so many levels, not least of all on the pitch and, preferably, immediately.

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That is where Lucas Torreira arrived on the scene. With the unique (and Wenger-esque) distinction of being a striker before he became a midfield ball-winner (and so much more), Torriera can do a lot of things. And at 22-years-old, it’s reasonable to expect that he will hone those things and maybe pick up a few more along the way.

With the Gunners willing to eat up half of their rumored transfer kitty to secure Torreira against the competition, they are making a statement that he can and, probably, will have to do all the things we expect him to do.

And they believe that he can do it right in the here and now. Barring any other signings, such as Jean Michael Seri, Torreira will be the solution to the midfield opening, of which there really is only one.

Beneficially so, Torreira will have the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles pressing him for his spot, so we don’t have to worry about a slow acclimation process, because if that’s the case, we don’t lose anything. This isn’t an Olivier Giroud sink-or-swim kind of scenario.

So while all our hopes of creating a cohesive midfield do in fact hinge on Torreira’s ability to acclimate quickly, we do have the safety of some kind of backup to the ideal situation.

Next: 3 Players Impacted By Lucas Torreira Arrival

These are exciting times. Finding someone like Torreira at a reasonable price is a gift. And it looks like the Gunners are taking it just as seriously a we’d hope they would.

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