Arsenal: If Lucas Torreira wants to go, Gunners must sell

There are growing rumours that Lucas Torreira wants to leave Arsenal, disgruntled with life in London. If true, the Gunners must sell.

Over the last couple of weeks, the rumours of Lucas Torreira leaving Arsenal have intensified after he made comments that he wasn’t settled in London and was looking for a move back to Italy and Serie A.

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There has, of course, been no official announcement like a transfer request being handed in, and all we are dealing with at the moment is rumours, but Torreira hasn’t denied anything and hasn’t committed his future to the club, as of yet. So, I am going to say that there is more than a little substance to these rumours.

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This is certainly not ideal news, especially given how dismal the transfer window has been so far and how Lucas Torreira was one of the few stand out players last season. I certainly hoped that we would have gotten a few years out of him and thought we would build a midfield around him, given his age and what he brings to the centre of the park.

Of the entire squad, Torreira is one of only a handful of players who absolutely deserves to start next season. He certainly wasn’t perfect and his form did dip after Christmas, but he played a huge number of games, coming off a World Cup, and without a winter break. He was electric in the heart of the midfield, a key cog in the best collective performances of the year.

However, the bottom line is if Torreira does want to leave, it seems pointless keeping him at the club. It is a unique circumstance. His desire to leave, if true, is not driven by money or ambition but the fact he doesn’t like England, and that is something that Arsenal cannot really control.

If the Gunners do sell him, it will be a big loss. He was here for just a year and was bought for far more than that. Nevertheless, a player who does not want to stay is not one who should be kept. Torreira may be more professional than some of the other players at the club, but if he was to remain against his will and denied a transfer, who is to say what it will do the morale of the team.

What is vital about selling, no matter the manner or the player-influenced process, it must be for the right price and it must come with the right replacement. Rumours of a two-year loan offer from AC Milan, for instance, need to be sent back with a stream of expletives and a side note asking for a proper offer. Meanwhile, Arsenal should be doing their research into potential Torreira replacements, should it come to it.

The ball is certainly in Torreira’s court. But whatever happens, Arsenal must ensure any deal is done appropriately and quickly.