Lucas Torreira appears to have fallen out of favour under Unai Emery at Arsenal. The Uruguayan arrived in North London back in July 2018 and many fans would have hoped he would provide protection to the back four, therefore, enhancing the Gunners’ defence.
Fast-forward 15 months and not only is Torreira being overlooked in the Premier League but when he does feature, albeit in the cup competitions, it appears he is being deployed in a much more advanced role, much to the frustration of the fan-base.
Im so done with Emery, ruining Torreira completely
— Reinholt (@Reinholt12) October 24, 2019
Why is Torreira being the furthest forward when you Guenduzi and Ceballos???
— Masibulele Gxalatana (@MGxalatana) October 24, 2019
Cannot understand the logical process behind having Torreira as our most advanced midfielder when you have Ceballos and even Guendouzi there.
— Spanish Gooner (@elspanishgooner) October 24, 2019
He’s put Torreira at 10 again, hasn’t he? Sack him. Sack him now.
— Joe (@RedAndWhite11) October 24, 2019
Emery must have some illness. Ceballos deep & Torreira basically playing at #10?!
— Pádraig (@afcpadraig) October 24, 2019
Couldnt agree more that to me is the most baffling of all the mad decisions he makes!!
— Gooner Duck (@conormorgan69) October 24, 2019
What do we think?
When watching Emery’s Arsenal, it is difficult to pin-point one midfielder who has been given the licence to regularly join the front three. The absence of an orthodox ‘number 10’ in any of Emery’s preferred formations is one of the reasons, along with a lack of effort in training in regards to Mesut Ozil, which is why many believe the German has been deemed surplus to requirements.
The Spaniard hinted that Torreira could be deployed in a more advanced role after the Gunners’ victory in Frankfurt back in September. This being considered just one of a long list of decisions which have caused the Arsenal faithful to begin asking questions of the manager and his methods.
The Uruguayan has started just two games in the Premier League so far, often being turned to as a second-half substitute. However, there’s no doubt the 23-year-old will be growing frustrated by his bit-part role. There was talk in the summer Torreira was set to be the subject of an approach from AC Milan who at the time were managed by Marco Giampaolo. That never materialised but you can expect there will be a number of clubs keeping tabs on the player’s situation, ready to make their move if and when the opportunity arises.