Lucas Torreira wants Arsenal exit – can Gunners afford the financial hit?

Lucas Torreira is an excellent player. He came to Arsenal with the entire weight of the legacy of Patrick Vieira on his shoulders. He was immediately loved by fans for his tough, gritty style of play and infectious energy but unfortunately, a host of factors seem to be pushing him out the door.

Most recently, his mother’s tragic passing seems has accelerated his inevitable departure. As stated by the Uruguayan on ESPN Argentina, Torreira desperately wants a move to the behemoth of South American football, Boca Juniors, to be closer to his family. This is completely understandable in light of such a traumatic time and Arsenal should grant him his move.

"“I’m dying to play for Boca and I will always say it,” he said. “The night my mother died, one of the first to hear the news was my agent. I don’t want to play in Europe anymore, I want to play for Boca.“I want to be close to my home, my family. I have a contract at Arsenal and I am on loan at Atletico but I want to go to Boca. I hope the clubs can agree.”"

https://twitter.com/ESPNFCarg/status/1377671653438713856

Lucas Torreira wants Arsenal exit but can the Gunners afford the financial hit as Boca Juniors can’t afford his asking price?

The time preceding this latest event has been rocky at best. The midfielder was unlucky enough to come in during Unai Emery’s reign of chaos. Lucas Torreira shone brightly for numerous games but his limited ability on the ball jeopardized his place in the squad.

While Mikel Arteta seemed to favor the 25-year-old after he took over, his injury against Portsmouth sealed a move away and a loan deal to Atletico Madrid was thought to be the right one. Diego Simeone’s own gritty style, a familiar setting and language and the chance to bring Torreira’s fitness levels back up were all thought to at least inflate his transfer fee, if not bring him back into Arteta’s thinking.

His appearances for Atletico, however, have been few and far between. He has only started three games and he has come off the bench 12 times for the Spanish club who are challenging for La Liga superiority. It remains to be seen exactly what kind of fee he will command in the summer but anything close to recouping the initial £27m paid would be amazing, just sadly impossible.

Boca Juniors do no possess the financial backing to meet the Gunners’ demands. Their record ever transfer was Juan Roman Riquelme for £10.8m. There would be an undoubted financial hit in granting Torreira’s wishes, one Arsenal can’t afford in the current climate as he is, after all, contracted to the club, but for the sake of the player and his family hopefully a solution is found.

The rugged player has not had the best of times for the London club. He has done well in flashes throughout but he never truly settled at Arsenal. The on-field disasters and the myriad of personal problems off it mean that a move away is the best and only option. Perhaps, at this stage, any fee that he brings in can only help Arteta as he continues his rebuild of the Arsenal squad.