Sampdoria have announced that they have sold Lucas Torreira to Arsenal and it seems he will get the number 11 shirt.

Arsenal, it seems, made a bit of a whoopsie before the official announcement:

https://twitter.com/the_cannon/status/1016685136140750849

By the time all this had happened, Arsenal finally announced him:

The 22-year-old, who arrives on a five-year deal for a fee reportedly in the region of £26m will no doubt slot into the side as a first team regular and addresses an issue the squad has suffered from for more than five years.

A statement on the Samp site said,

“UC Sampdoria announces that it has relinquished the rights to the sports performances of the player Lucas Sebastián Torreira to Arsenal FC.

“The Uruguayan midfielder – 74 appearances and 4 goals in his experience as a blucerchiato – is a sincere thanks for the commitment shown in these two seasons and the greatest good luck for the rest of his career by President Massimo Ferrero and all the company, proud of having focused on him and having launched it in great football.”

Torreira recently told the media that the chance to join Arsenal is one that he ‘couldn’t waste’.

“I would’ve been very happy to fly back with my teammates, but this is such a big opportunity and I can’t waste it,” the 22-year-old told Telenoche at the airport.

“It was the same when leaving Uruguay at a young age to play in Italy, as I knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime to progress as a person and help my family.

“I saw the sacrifices my father made. I was away from home a long time and couldn’t even drink mate with my Mum. I’ll return to Uruguay soon enough and salute everyone.”

Details are starting to emerge about the specifics of Torreira’s deal with Arsenal.

The latest reports suggest Torreira headed straight to London to complete a medical, after Uruguay’s elimination from the World Cup.

Firstly, a wide variety of reports confirm that Arsenal will pay a €30m (£26.5m) for the 22-year-old. His release clause with Sampdoria was €25m, but Arsenal decided to pay a little extra to fight off the competition. The two clubs agreed the fee would be paid in three instalments.

Next, reports in Uruguay suggest Torreira will sign a five-year contract with the club. Given his age, it makes sense Arsenal would want to tie him down for as long as possible, in contrast to the likes of Sokratis Papastathopoulos or Stephan Lichtsteiner on shorter contracts.

Uruguayan outlet Tenfield also give the player’s new wages as €3m-a-year (£2.65m). That works out at around £51k-a-week. However, it’s important to bear in mind that wages are often given after tax in overseas reports.

Nonetheless, even before tax his wages would still come to less than £100k-a-week, which is very good for a player of his talent.