• Emery held talks with Uruguayan during international break
Lucas Torreira faces further frustration if he wants a return to Arsenal’s holding midfield position, according to Unai Emery, who believes the player’s consistency has dropped this season and that he is not yet equipped to play in his preferred role. Talks have taken place between the pair this week following suggestions, made during the international break, that the Uruguay international is unsettled. It has been an uncertain period for Torreira, who was trumpeted as the answer to a long-standing problem in the deeper position when he arrived from Sampdoria in July 2018 and earned instant plaudits for his performances. This season he has been in and out of the side, sometimes looking uncomfortable occupying the more advanced berth in which Emery has deployed him recently.
“At the moment he’s helping us like two midfielders, because his pressing on the opposition is the best of our midfielders and his capacity to get into the box, to get opportunities to score, is very good for us,” Emery said. “He has a very big future here, but he needs to improve. He has to learn in some situations to help us and do better. It’s one process. He was playing good last year; this year he’s not being consistent but my challenge to him is to improve, to do better with some tactical issues on the pitch, but above all being consistent and taking that into the next matches.”
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