Arsenal’s new midfielder Lucas Torreira has been handed the number 11 shirt, until recently owned by Mesut Ozil, after the Gunners confirmed his arrival from Sampdoria.
The 22-year-old, who has been at the World Cup with Uruguay, will meet up with his new teammates for pre-season training in a few weeks after a well-deserved rest.
In the meantime, it’s fair to say he’s excited about his move to London.
“I feel very happy,” he told Arsenal.com. “I want to make the most of this opportunity life has given me. I am really looking forward to starting this new adventure.
“For a while I’ve been receiving loads of messages in my social media accounts. I guess it’s all down to the fact there were talks of me moving to Arsenal even before the World Cup started. I am very happy and I hope I can meet all the fans very soon.”
The wait is over… it's #TimeForTorreira ?
Welcome to Arsenal, @LTorreira34 ? pic.twitter.com/wnUDYuDMeS
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 10, 2018
On Arsenal fans tracking his flight to London, he added: “It’s a very positive thing that people want to welcome me.
“It makes me feel comfortable. Now I am calm and I look forward to the future, which for sure will be very nice.”
New head coach Unai Emery is also enthusiastic at the prospect of working with Torreira.
“In Lucas Torreira, we have signed a young player who is a very bright talent in the game,” he told Arsenal.com.
“A midfielder with great quality, I have enjoyed watching his performances for Sampdoria in the past two seasons, and we all saw him do very well for Uruguay in the World Cup.
“He is a young player already with good experience, but who wants to keep on growing. We welcome Lucas to Arsenal and look forward to him joining us soon for pre-season.”
A DM, finally. Welcome to the Arsenal!
One can only assume that since he’s been given the number 11 he’ll be filling the winger shaped hole in our squad, rather than the DM position we expected.
Just who we need. Look forward to a mix between Santi size/skills and a bulldog defensively.
My friend, only Santi can do Santi.
Santi is the footballing version of Chuck Norris.
My take on Torreira having never watched him play before the World Cup is that if you somehow got Santi and Coqeulin to bread, Lucas Torreira is what you’d get.
No matter how you slice it, an analogy like that takes a lot of crust!
Looking forward to seeing this ‘little man’ grow into the best DM in Europe in an Arsenal shirt.
Welcome bro.
Get in!
Our Kante
You mean, they missed out on Torreira
I remember Tillman once said the perfect midfield partner for our current midfield would be someone who we could fuse Coquein with Santi to create.
Took a while in the lab, but we finally got it right.
I’m sorry. He’s not a santi. The latter is technically superior by a distance.
Missed my point, but whatever.
Many of us have waited about 20 transfer windows for this moment.
Just checked the calendar, it’s not April 1st. Just a great day to be a Gooner.
Welcome and good luck!
That signing video is dope. But Sokratis’s probably takes the cake for the best signing video in recent Arsenal history
Nah, I’ll go with Auba’s
These recent signings just proved that there were some serious fundamental flaws in how the club handled it’s transfer business in the last 10years. Laxity and a sense of entitlement permeated through the entire structure of our beloved Arsenal.
Thank Bergkamp that’s over. I can’t remember being so excited about a new season in such a long time
It’s a weird window…it’s as if management actually has a way to hear what fans want…
Glad to see Bergkamp remains revered by fans!
GET IN THEIRRA!!!
I hope he’ll have a nice future with us too.
But with so many new players incoming, when are we going to start selling?
A DM with # 11 at the back. Arsenal is back 🙂
We don’t really do numbers very well do we?
He looks like he will add some bite to our midfield.
May lack height but didn’t stop Makelele, Marscherano, Kante, or indeed Santi.
We have lacked control in midfield for some time now. Hope he can dovetail with Granit and secure the central area better plus track runners into the box.
Looked diligent and aware in the Wcup.
The only exciting prospect thus far aside from this French 19yr old Emery has identified.
still in need of a wide player though.
Interesting that he seems to be an Unai signing, rather than the drive coming from elsewhere. But proof that the new set is working for the common – Arsenal – good. ???
I quite like his braces. He’s what you get if you cross a hooligan with a Bond villain. Awesome!
Lucas Torreira our small but very tenacious DM!! hope you’ll be fantastic for us from game 1! No more opening us up easily cuz you’ll get f***** over.
welcome TENACIOUS T
L.A.N.S
This one actually is a new signing
Like an old signing then, since we’ve known it for a few weeks
Like an old signing, except new
Please let this not be the last transfer. For we are in dire need of wide players.
Until we get one, I’ll stick with my opinion that this is an above average transfer window.
Akinfenwa next
They might need to get an XXXXL shirt made for The Beast though.
I bet you shit under the Christmas tree don’t you
I rather like the way the new manager seems to have a distinct sense of purpose and not only identified a quality player but also purchased him!!! I think we will get back into the top four, possibly surprise a few people and get second, as well as winning in Europe
Looks like alexis in that pic. I’ll take it as a good omen rather than a bad.
Alexis who?
Sanchez. Sorry, I thought it would be obvious enough from alexis. I guess I give some people too much credit
Who is this Alexis Sanchez you speak of?
Irony alert… (some people never learn!)
you know, that world class player wenger sold so he could afford to pay that average player ozil,s wages
Jeez…. I must have been living under a rock or something. No clue bro
See he was looking at visit Rwanda like wtf
Missed a great opportunity there – Fly “with” Emirates “to” Rwanda.
It would be quite wonderful if we spent the season advertising a tourist destination and an airline that doesnt fly there
I was looking forward to a crazy made up explanation from the club as to the choice of number. 11 is half his age, he’s born on the 11th, he was 11 when he first saw an Arsenal game, he keeps a stock of 11 flavours of Fray Bentos tinned pies in his suitcase for away trips…
Hahahaha you had me totally guffawing
These pitbull bastard’ish signings of late are true game changers. With Lichtsteiner, Sokratis and Kolasinac at the back combined with Torreira Arsenal have turned into an Orc’ish defense… and less elegant Elvish. And that’s a good thing.
So with 10 , 11 and 23 gone, what no. Will Dybala be given ? ?
Looks like we also signed this kid– https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/986766/Arsenal-transfer-news-Matteo-Guendouzi-leaked-signing-video
We need to get our shit together on those squad numbers. DM – 11 will do nicely, keeper – 19 for you sir. Next we’ll sign a new number 3 – striker that is…
Asamoah Gyan
Har to Google that. Holy shit.
thats emre’s new arsenal. now out of wengerr. am excited for the season.ooohhhh
Is he our first Uruguayan player?
I can’t think of another one.