Former Arsenal star Gilberto Silva has said that he hopes that Lucas Torreira can emulate Chelsea and French national team king-pin N’Golo Kante, according to a report published by Metro.
The 22-year-old Torreira earned himself a £26 million move from Sampdoria to the Gunners during the summer. He impressed while on international duty for Uruguay during the World Cup and played in all five of his nation’s games as they advanced to the quarter-finals.
As Torreira was the Gunners’ most expensive summer purchase, most fans would have expected to see him start from the outset of this season. However, he has yet to make a start in the League so far this season and has been restricted to appearances off the bench.
Manager Unai Emery has so far opted to utilize Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka as his options in midfield. The Gunners have won their past two games and it will not be surprising if Emery opts to keep this combination for the club’s upcoming fixture against Newcastle United on Saturday.
It is still, however, early in the season. Xhaka tends to be inconsistent, while Guendouzi is still very young and his inexperience could start to show soon. As long as Torreira keeps playing well whenever called upon, he should soon find himself in the Gunners starting XI.
Gilberto said: ‘Can he have the same impact as Kante? I hope so,’
‘The Premier League is not easy. You have to work hard to be considered a top player and progress game to game, season to season.
‘But he’s got the potential. We saw that at the World Cup, where he did a great job for Uruguay. I watched him in the World Cup. He did a very good job. If you see the way he plays, he plays the game very simply, he makes things easy for him on the field.
