Lucas Torreira’s agent admits the player is unhappy with the role he’s playing in the Arsenal team at the moment, but he believes the club want to keep him.

Even though he was only one full season into his Arsenal career, the rumours of a possible exit for Lucas Torreira already started to emerge this summer.

Those reports didn’t exactly go away when Unai Emery began the season by avoiding starting the midfielder in the league until forced to by Granit Xhaka’s situation. The head coach has also been playing the Uruguayan in a more attacking position than he’s used to.

Speaking to the media in Italy this week, Torreira’s agent Pablo Bentancur discussed the current situation for the 23-year-old. First, he talked about the fact that Napoli wanted to sign Torreira before Arsenal themselves landed the player.

“It is true, Napoli wanted him, but there was economic distance with Arsenal’s offer,” Bentancur told Radio Marte (via Calciomercato).

“Ancelotti personally tried to take him to Naples and if the negotiation with Arsenal had fallen through, he would have come to Naples, I had promised him.

“But Arsenal was also a choice for football more similar to his style of play, Torreira chose English football.”

As for the future, Bentancur seemed to be keeping his client’s options open. He was pretty clear about the fact that Torreira isn’t happy with how he’s being utilised by Emery though.

“In football, anything can happen,” the agent continued. “Torreira is doing well at Arsenal, even if the change of role does not make him happy, but it must be said that this year the whole team is not doing well.

“I don’t know how things are, but I think Arsenal wants to keep him. In the new role, he is not at ease, but we respect the coach’s decision, then we’ll see what happens.”

I don’t think any of the fans are particularly happy about seeing Torreira in the opposition penalty area trying to get on the end of chances either. Excluding at Anfield, where he’s scored half of his Arsenal goals, the ex-Sampdoria man has been far from prolific.

The Gunners need to get Torreira playing a role he’s more comfortable with, both to keep him happy and for the good of the team.