Arsenal and Lucas Torreira: Cause for concern?

Lucas Torreira has slipped out of the Arsenal starting XI in recent weeks with Aaron Ramsey taking his place. As the Welshman will leave in the summer, is there cause for concern?

When Arsenal signed a pesky little Uruguayan who lit up the World Cup with his whippet-snapper, ankle-biting style, there was quite the excitement rising around the Emirates. Lucas Torreira, despite his modest price tag in the explosive modern era, arrived with quite the expectation.

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It took a little time for him to work his way into the starting XI, Unai Emery seemingly cautious to thrust an uninitiated, inexperienced player into the heat of a Premier League battle. But once Torreira established himself at the heart of the midfield, he immediately started making good on those expectations.

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By early-December, he was scoring overhead kicks against Huddersfield Town and bossing a North London Derby. The terrier-like midfielder that Arsenal fans had been wanting for many years was finally here, and it was better than any could have imagined. Torreira was sensational, heralded as one of the bargains of the last decade.

The blossoming reputation the 22-year-old built in those first few months, however, might now be going before him. Although he was undoubtedly excellent in those early fixtures, both his performance level and usage have depreciated over the course of the year. In the four biggest matches of the season over the course of the past two weeks, — Spurs and Manchester United and Rennes in the Europa League — Torreira has started just one, missing the United match through suspension.

It is telling that when Emery needed his team to deliver, he shifted both system and personnel, moving to a 3-4-3 formation and fielding Aaron Ramsey alongside Granit Xhaka in central midfield. Torreira was very quickly pushed to the peripheries. And perhaps the most concerning element is that he probably deserved to be.

Ramsey, in Torreira’s stead, has been superb, playing a more conservative, all-encompassing midfield role against both United and Rennes. The Welshman is perfectly suited to the position. He, like Torreira, has terrific energy, athleticism and stamina, is able to cover vast spaces for the full 90 minutes, and is more than willing to undertake the dirty work every great midfielder must do.

But unlike Torreira, he offers a little more craft in possession. He can dribble past an opponent, his knack for scoring goals has proven invaluable over the years, and his passing is not nearly as limited as Torreira’s. Ramsey will leave the Emirates this summer. Is Torreira actually capable of replacing him?

This is not to slate Torreira’s performances. He has been fine. But it would be irresponsible not to admit that they have tailed off from his early-season form. Is that cause for concern? Not yet, no. But the question does deserve to be asked.