Lucas Torreira was loaned out to Italian side Fiorentina on Aug 25, 2021, with an option to buy him after the loan ended in June 2022. Torreira played a total of 31 games with Fiorentina and scored 5 goals as a defensive midfielder.
After a successful season-long loan in Italy, the Uruguayan midfielder wanted to make the move permanent and stay in Florence. Unfortunately, Arsenal could not come to an agreement with Fiorentina on a deal worth €15 million.
“I’m sad – I did my best to stay here but someone didnt want it.”
-Lucas Torreira
Lucas Torreira is headed back to England, where he will finish off his contract with Arsenal, which will terminate in 2023.
Torreira started his youth football career at hometown club I.A. 18 de Julio of Fray Bentos. In 2013, at age 16, he joined Montevideo Wanderers’ youth team, before moving to Italy where he joined Pescara’s youth team in January 2015.
Before the 2014–15 season, Torreira was called up for Pescara’s first team and, on 25 October 2014, he sat on the bench for the first time. He made his senior debut in Serie B on 16 May 2015 against Varese, playing the game as a starter. He played 58 minutes before being replaced by Matteo Politano.
On 1 July 2015, Torreira was transferred to Sampdoria for €1.5 million, but he remained with Pescara on loan for the 2015–16 season to gain first-team experience. On 2 July, his loan to Pescara became official. On 9 August 2015, Torreira scored his first professional goal against F.C. Südtirol in the 2015–16 Coppa Italia.
After the Pescara loan ended, Torreira returned to Sampdoria on 1 July 2016. On 21 August 2016, Torreira made his Serie A debut in their opening game against Empoli at the Stadio Carlo Castellani. He started the game and played the entire match.
He became a regular for Sampdoria in the 2016–17 season, and continued showing his importance to the team in the 2017–18 season; scoring vital goals, including the second goal in Sampdoria’s 3–2 win over Juventus in November.
On 10 July 2018, Torreira joined English club Arsenal for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £26 million. Torreira was given the number 11 shirt, previously worn by Mesut Özil, who took the vacant number 10 following the departure of Jack Wilshere.
Torreira made his Premier League debut on 12 August, coming on as a substitute on the 70th minute in a 2–0 defeat to Manchester City. Torreira registered his first assist of the season, by setting up Alexandre Lacazette’s winning goal in a 3–2 win over Cardiff City. Torreira made his full debut and his Europa League debut for Arsenal in the 4–2 win over FC Vorskla Poltava on 2 September, before being replaced in the 57th minute by Matteo Guendouzi. Torreira’s performance in Arsenal’s 1–1 draw with Liverpool drew particularly high praise from fans and pundits alike, picking up the man-of-the-match award. On 2 December, Torreira scored his first Arsenal goal and picked up another man-of-the-match award against Tottenham Hotspur when he latched on to a pass from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to slot the ball past Hugo Lloris to give Arsenal a fourth goal in a 4–2 North London derby victory. A week later, on 8 December, Torreira scored a late 83rd-minute winner against Huddersfield Town with a bicycle kick, giving him his second goal in as many games at the Emirates Stadium. In the match, Torreira was also awarded his fifth consecutive Arsenal Man of the Match performance. Torreira was dismissed in stoppage time during the club’s reverse fixture against Tottenham at Wembley after a late challenge on Danny Rose. The match ended 1–1 and it was Torreira’s first red card for Arsenal; although Arsenal attempted to appeal the ban, their appeal was rejected by the FA, which meant that Torreira’s ban would still result in a three-match ban. As a result, Torreira would miss Arsenal’s games against Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell named Torreira the third-best signing of the Premier League season.
On 5 October 2020, Torreira joined Atlético Madrid on a season-long loan. On 17 October, Torreira made his debut in a 2–0 win against Celta Vigo in the La Liga. On 31 October, he came off the bench and scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 league win over Osasuna.
On 25 August 2021, Fiorentina announced the signing of Torreira on loan from Arsenal until 30 June 2022 with an option to buy him next summer for around £13m. On 12 September, Torreira made his debut in Fiorentina’s 2–1 win over Atalanta, after being named in Italiano’s starting eleven.
