Arsenal and Lucas Torreira: I’d be unsettled too

Lucas Torreira is reportedly unsettled at Arsenal and is looking for a potential exit. If I was being mishandled the way he has been, I would be unsettled too.

It has not been a positive season for Arsenal thus far. From a results angle, they now sit in sixth position. That does not sound too bad, until you look at the points: they are eight points off the top four and six points above 17th. They are within one win of 15th.

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Looking a little deeper at the state of the team, the performances, the progression of the identity of the side and the culture of the club, more problems persist. Unai Emery has failed to show any semblance of development, there is little philosophy and attacking inspiration, and the team continues to falter on a now weekly basis.

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These collective problems are seeping into the individuals at the club, too. This is understandable. When a team does badly, those who are a part of the team are negatively impacted, whether it be Granit Xhaka and others dealing with intense criticism and abuse or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette stalling on new contracts as they look to potentially further their career elsewhere.

And now it is Lucas Torreira’s turn to hint at his own personal issues with the trajectory of the club. According to Milan-based media site Calciomercato, Torreira is unsettled in north London and is wanting the club to listen to potential offers as soon as this January.

This sense of unrest stems from his rotated use in the team, the fact that Emery seemingly does not trust him to play regularly in the Premier League, and that he is rarely utilised in his best position, that of a defensive midfielder.

For some obscure reason that is rather difficult to discern, Emery believes that the best use of Torreira is as a box-to-box midfielder, someone whose energy helps instigate a high press and has the quality and nous to drive into the penalty area with late runs from deep.

Now, Torreira may have the ability to execute these roles. He is a good enough player to be able to do so. But that does not mean he is being used to the best of his ability. He is not being maximised — sadly, there is a pattern emerging of Arsenal players not being put into the necessary positions for them to perform their best.

And so, the Uruguayan is understandably growing frustrated with his contorted and somewhat restricted role at the club. At 23, he is approaching a crucial part of his career, where he should be transitioning from prospective young player to crucial, reliable first-team fixture. How can he do that if he is being played out of position?

All this leads to one very concerning and obvious consequence: Torreira wants to leave. And quite frankly, if I was him, I would want to too.