Arsenal World Cup update: Lucas Torreira showed everything he needed to

All eyes were on Lucas Torreira at this summer’s World Cup, with the midfielder in the process of completing a move to Arsenal. The Uruguayan showed everything he needed to.

How many people had heard of Lucas Torreira when he was first linked with a move to Arsenal all those weeks and months ago? I vaguely recognised his name, but had never seen him play in regular action — Sampdoria were not a team competing in European competition –, and I knew little of his style and quality, having not watched much of the middling Serie side.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here

But this week, the Torreira deal was made official. It was not all that surprising when it was announced. It had been coming for some time. But many fans, like myself, who had only been able to watch Torreira since the rumours surfaced, re-watching some of his performances from last season, the World Cup was a unique opportunity.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Torreira travelled to Russia with the Uruguay squad hoping to secure a starting role at the heart of the midfield as the tournament progressed. With Rodrigo Bentancur and Matias Vecino starting in central midfield and Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez both demanding starting roles up-front, Torreira was resigned to the bench for the first two games of the competition.

However, by the time the final group game rolled around, Torreira was starting at the base of a shifted midfield. In the three games he started, against Saudi Arabia, Portugal and then France, then, there was a great scrutiny from Arsenal fans like me, keen to get a glance at one of the potential signings this summer. And in those games, Torreira showed everything that he needed to to get me and plenty of others excited about his future.

Against Saudi Arabia, he was advancing and forward-thinking in his distribution, often looking to pass into progressive areas to teammates in and around the final third. The quality of the opposition should be considered, but this was a promising display for a player not necessarily renowned for his passing play.

It was against Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo that Torreira had his best game. Sticking to the second-best player in the world like glue, Torreira was snappy in the challenge, brilliant at breaking up play, a nuisance to worm past and around, quick across the ground and excellent clogging up passing lanes and making interceptions.

He put in a similarly all-action display in a 2-0 loss to France in the quarter-finals, but with Cavani absent through injury, Uruguay struggled to find an outlet as they defended deeper and deeper. Torreira was very good once more as he looked to break up play consistently, but there was pressure on his clearances and passes forward, making them a little wayward at times.

Next: Arsenal: Player ratings from 2017/18 season

In those three starts, Torreira showed everything that he needed to. That is not to say that he was perfect. He obviously wasn’t. But for what Arsenal need at the base of the midfield, Torreira showed he can be absolutely ideal.