Arsenal: Gilberto Silva hits Lucas Torreira ceiling

Gilberto Silva has expressed hopes that Lucas Torreira can have the same impact as N’Golo Kante. That is the ceiling of the Arsenal midfielder’s potential.

We are yet to truly see Lucas Torreira. The new Arsenal midfield acquisition returned late from the World Cup in the summer and took a little time to get match fit. As such, Unai Emery has brought him on cautiously, introducing him in each of the four Premier League matches but yet to give him a start.

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So the jury is very much still out on the signing. No one really knows to expect from him. And when he does start, which could be this weekend against Newcastle United if he recovers from a slight knock suffered while on international duty with Uruguay, it will be extremely interesting to see what impact he has on the team.

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And if there is anyone who knows the potential influence of Torreira, it’s Gilberto Silva. Speaking to the London Evening Standard this week, Silva revealed that he hoped Torreira could have the same impact as N’Golo Kante has had at Chelsea, championing the Uruguayan’s natural shielding skills and simple playing style:

"“Can he have the same impact as Kante? I hope so. The Premier League is not easy. You have to work hard to be considered a top player and progress game to game, season to season. But he’s got the potential. We saw that at the World Cup, where he did a great job for Uruguay. He gives protection to the back four and support to the guys up front, he tries to find the best spot to be. The protective instinct is very natural for him <…> It’s about how smart they are to play at this position, to find the best ball to give, play nice and simple.”"

Kante is perhaps the best defensive midfielder in world football right now. Whenever a short, scrappy, athletic midfielder with good defensive instincts and excellent tackling and interception statistics is signed, the immediate comparison is Kante. He is the best in the business. Very much like any small, agile, fleet-footed winger is labelled ‘the next Lionel Messi’, so Torreira will be compared to Kante.

But Kante is the best of what Arsenal can hope for regarding Torreira. As Gilberto outlines, Torreira does have many of the qualities that you would want in a defensive midfielder, and he showcased them in a very impressive World Cup, particularly against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the Round of 16. But it would be surprising if Torreira did actually play out as Kante has for Chelsea.

Even Arsenal have signed ‘Kante’ for £27 million at the age of 22, then this is the best transfer of the club’s history. But let’s just slow down on our predictions for Torreira’s career. He’s not even made a start yet.