It's official, Lucas Torreira has left Arsenal on a permanent transfer after four years at the club.
Signed from Serie A side Sampdoria for a reported fee of £26.5m during the Unai Emery era in the 2018 summer window following an impressive showing for Uruguay at the World Cup, the midfielder quickly became a fan favourite with his all-action displays in the engine room.
Arguably the highlight of Torreira's time with Arsenal came in the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur, where he capped off a man-of-the-match display by opening his account for the club and remained a regular in the side for the rest of the 2018/2019 campaign.
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Even with the departure of Emery midway through the following season and the subsequent appointment of Mikel Arteta, the 26-year-old was still a key player for the Gunners as he started the first six Premier League games under the Spaniard which included a win over Manchester United and 2-2 draw away at Chelsea.
However, upon being stretchered off in an FA Cup tie against Portsmouth after suffering a fractured ankle, Torreira's Arsenal career effectively came to an end as he started just two games across all competitions after. The impact of Covid-19 afforded him the chance to play again during the 2019/2020 campaign.
Two loan spells later, and the midfielder has left the Gunners for good as his move to Galatasaray was officially confirmed on Monday evening in a deal worth around £5.9m. The official statement read: "Midfielder Lucas Torreira has joined Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray in a permanent transfer. Everyone at Arsenal thanks Lucas for his contribution during his time with us. We wish Lucas and his family the best of health and happiness in their new chapter with Galatasaray."
Now, player sales haven't been a strong point for Arsenal technical director Edu since taking up the role in the summer of 2019, but he was close to securing a deal for Torreira that would have seen the club bank an extra £7m.
Following a productive campaign on loan with Fiorentina, where the midfielder netted five goals in 35 appearances across all competitions, all signs pointed towards a permanent transfer, especially as the Serie A side, at one stage, were in negotiations with the Gunners to activate their option to buy for £12.9m.
But, as revealed by Torreira himself, Fiorentina decided against taking up the option to turn his deal into a permanent one, and the Uruguay international even went as far to suggest that his move was prevented by "those acting in a bad way".
Despite Arsenal missing out on an extra cash injection and the midfielder not getting his dream transfer, in the end, the two parties have got exactly what they wanted, with the latter looking forward to a new chapter in his career.
"I am very happy and excited to be a new Galatasaray player," Torreira's statement on Twitter reads. "I am convinced that this is the beginning of a long and successful history together. Thank you for trusting me, and I promise to leave everything for these colours. Let's go, Gala!"
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