Atletico Madrid's Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira reacts during the UEFA Champions League Group A football match FC Bayern Munich v Atletico Madrid in Munich, southern Germany on October 21, 2020. (Photo by ANDREAS GEBERT / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ANDREAS GEBERT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Daily Star, Lucas Torreira has hinted that he does not wish to return to Arsenal. The midfielder went on loan to Atletico Madrid this summer after the arrival of Thomas Partey. He said that he is happy in Madrid now and never fully adjusted to life in England.
The 24-year-old defensive midfielder started his senior career at Pescara in 2015. Sampdoria came calling in the same year but he was allowed to return to Pescara on loan for the 2015-16 season.
He went on to become a mainstay in the Sampdoria team once he returned from Pescara. After two seasons at Sampdoria, he moved to English shores when Arsenal bought him. The midfielder performed well in his first season but struggled after that. He was loaned to Atletico Madrid on deadline day this summer.
The Uruguayan is also an important part of the national setup and has already racked up 23 appearances for the country (source – Transfermarkt).
Arsenal somehow got their man, Thomas Partey, on deadline day. It was rather a surprise that the Gunners signed a superstar midfielder after a dry summer window.
Lucas Torreira, on the other hand, moved the other way. It was clear that there was a new defensive midfielder in the team and he is a good one. Partey was one of Diego Simeone’s trusted students and he brought energy and bite into the midfield.
He brings the same qualities to Arsenal, qualities that the club so desperately needed. Lucas Torreira would have known that he would be left in the cold after that deal and the best way was a way out.
Arsenal should look to offload the Uruguayan on a permanent basis now that they have Partey in their ranks. The new man is a huge improvement on him and the club could also use the cash from a sale.
There is logically no place for him at Arsenal and had he remained at the club, he would have been on the fringes given that he hadn’t played much under Arteta. Even Mohamed Elneny was ahead of him in the pecking order, which shows Torreira’s stand at the club. The club should part ways with Torreira on a permanent basis.
