Arsenal: Lucas Torreira is better than N’Golo Kante so yeah, he’s good

Lucas Torreira is a massive addition to this Arsenal team, but naturally, Paul Merson had to open his mouth. So let’s revisit how important Torreira is.

Lucas Torreira is 100% what Arsenal needed last transfer window and in just over half a season, he has become a mainstay with so much more room to grow and improve. He’s a massive lift on a dreary midfield.

But according to talking head and self-proclaimed expert Paul Merson, he isn’t “that good.” He’s just the right prototype for what the Gunners needed, but he isn’t good enough. Which, even typing, makes me want to laugh. And then laugh some more. And some more.

It’s amazing what some people will say for attention. And it’s even more amazing when people double down on what they said for added attention. Of course, here I am, talking about it and giving him more attention, but still. For the sake of standing up for Lucas Torreira, it’s worth it.

How can you say a player isn’t that good when he has been better in his first season than “the best” defensive midfielder, N’Golo Kante?

For years, Kante has been heralded as the best possible undersized ballhound, and he has earned that reputation with fantastic play, developing his attacking abilities to prove a more rounded midfielder than was expected. He’s 27-years-old now, in his prime, and carrying the mantle well.

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In comes Lucas Torreira, 22-years-old, and fresh from Serie A. He plays the same kind of style, but there is more optimism in his attacking play than there is in Kante’s. Five years the younger and a rookie on the biggest footballing stage, Torreira has been better than Kante this year. The statistics don’t lie, nor does the head-to-head.

Statistically, Kante is winning back 3.1 ball per match, while Torreira is winning back 3.5. Passing-wise, Torreira completes 88.6% of his passes, Kante completes 88%. In terms of goal production, Kante is contributing to a goal every 411 minutes. Torreira, meanwhile, is contributing on every 402 minutes.

Even in terms of possession retention, which I’ve been critical of Torreira for at times, Kante falls behind. The Frenchman loses possession 3.1 times per 90 minutes. Torreira, meanwhile, is at 1.7 per 90.

And guess who gets dribbled pas more per match? Kante! Again, not by much, it’s just 1.1 to 0.8, but the point is, while the margins are incredibly slim, Torreira has been better than Kante. In nearly every statistical category, and this is his first year in the big time. Kante has been here for awhile.

But please, Paul Merson, tell me more about how Torreira isn’t good enough.