Arsenal have struggled in recent years to find themselves a defensive midfielder who is capable of running the game whilst adding a layer of protection to the defence. It’s a specific calibre that every team needs in order to be successful, but one that only very few possess.

The Gunners have been crying out for such a talent, and it seems the wait could be over.

Step forward Lucas Torreira, who completed his long awaited £26.4 million to Arsenal following Uruguay’s exit from the World Cup this summer. He became the Gunners’ fourth signing of the summer out of five, joining goalkeeper Bernd Leno, defenders Stephan Lichtsteiner and Soktratis Papasthathopoulous as well as France U20 international Matteo Guendouzi.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a fine World Cup campaign with Uruguay as they reached the quarter-finals, only to be knocked out by eventual champions France.

He displayed some impressive attributes that will have excited Arsenal fans, and his arrival soon after their exit was a much celebrated move.

Torreira is an energetic midfielder who is a tough tackler, he is great on the ball and has excellent balance due to his low centre of gravity. He represents exactly what Arsenal have been missing in their midfield during the last few seasons, a real defensive midfield general who is reliable and consistent.

New manager Unai Emery, who admits he had been watching the youngster with Sampdoria last season, believes the midfielder will be an excellent addition to his squad. Upon signing for the club, Emery said to the Arsenal website: “In Lucas Torreira, we have signed a young player who is a very bright talent in the game,”

“A midfielder with great quality, I have enjoyed watching his performances for Sampdoria in the past two seasons, and we all saw him do very well for Uruguay in the World Cup.

“He is a young player already with good experience, but who wants to keep on growing. We welcome Lucas to Arsenal and look forward to him joining us soon for pre-season.”

After a solid pre-season with the Gunners, many have compared Torreira to that of N’Golo Kante and Marco Verratti. He looks like a breath of fresh air in midfield for the North London side, and it’s with eager anticipation that the season kicks off so fans can get a glimpse of their new man.