Arsenal continue to lead the way at the top of the Premier League but the Gunners have identified another potential target to bolster their ranks in January.
Bukayo Saka has been in excellent form so far this season but the England international picked up a fresh injury in the recent 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. As a result, a back-up is more important than ever and Mikel Arteta could be set to make a swoop for Uruguayan winger Facundo Torres.
Mirror Football tells you all you need to know about the proposed Arsenal target, including who he plays for, his career so far and what’s been said about him.
Who is Facundo Torres?
Torres plays as a winger for MLS outfit Orlando City, who he only joined back in January after arriving for a club record fee of $8million (£7.75million) on a four-year-deal, with the option for a fifth, from Uruguayan outfit Penarol.
The 22-year-old, born on April 13, 2000, in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, joined his home town’s youth ranks in 2010. After being invited to train with the first team in February 2016, and then named in a matchday squad for the first time in June 2018, Torres was eventually handed his senior team debut in August 2020 under national hero Diego Forlan.
On the international stage, Torres has represented Uruguay at U15, U17 and U20 level, scoring 29 goals in 54 games, before making his senior debut in 2021. He featured a further nine times for Uruguay last year, although he is yet to make an appearance in 2022.
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Career so far
After making his first team debut for Penarol in 2020, Torres went on to record 16 goals and 15 assists across 71 games in all competitions ( transfermarkt ) for the Uruguayan outfit, which included helping them clinch the 2021 Uruguayan Primera Division title in his final appearance with the equalising goal in a 1-1 draw.
The following month, Torres signed for Orlando. In his first season with the MLS side, he recorded 13 goals and 10 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions as Orlando qualified for the MLS Cup play-offs and won their first ever piece of silverware with the U.S. Open Cup.
Torres registered four goals and two assists in six games as The Lions won the competition for the first time in their history, including two goals and an assist in the final. Back in July, Torres also scored for Orlando as they lost 3-1 to Arsenal in a pre-season friendly.
What’s been said about him?
According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal have launched a bid for Torres ahead of a January swoop and are due to hold talks with the 22-year-old's agent as they target a new winger to provide competition for Saka.
After the Uruguayan shined to help Orlando lift the U.S. Open Cup in September, head coach Oscar Pareja said: “I think those players that change the game and take their teams on their shoulders are difficult to find. In Facu, we have found that already. This one game, he just took that magical moment that he brought us.”
Orlando City technical director, Ricardo Moreira, also said: “We see (Facundo’s) growth into the league, his understanding of the league, his understanding of the physicality and speed required has been amazing. He's a guy where all I have to say is that the sky is the limit. There's more to come from him and I hope we can stay with Facundo as long as we can.”
