Lucas Torreira has publicly confirmed he wants to join Boca Juniors, after the death of his mother and two years without enjoyment on the pitch.

Arsenal loanee Lucas Torreira is currently taking time off from his spell with Atletico Madrid to visit his family in Uruguay after his mother died from a Covid infection.

The situation seems to have put some things in perspective for the player, who is now insistent that he wants to return to South America and play for Boca Juniors. He suggested he hasn’t been happy with Arsenal or Atletico Madrid and wants to leave Europe.

“The night my mother died, one of the first to hear the news was my agent,” Torreira explained. “I don’t want to play in Europe anymore, I want to play for Boca.

“I want to be close to my home, my family. I have a contract at Arsenal and I am on loan at Atletico but I want to go to Boca. I hope the clubs can agree.

“It’s been two years since I was enjoying myself personally, I haven’t had continuity. Arsenal hurt me and at Atletico, I don’t play like I want.

“I just want to play for Boca. I have made my decision. I will do it for my father. He asked me and I’m going to do it.”

Earlier this week, we covered reports from Argentina that Torreira is in talks to join the club this summer. ESPN report Boca are keen on the move, although it’s going to be difficult for them to manage given the finances involved and Torreira’s Arsenal contract to 2023.

But this a long-held dream for Torreira, and he’s likely to do anything he can to try and make the move happen. As long ago as 2019, at the end of an encouraging first season with Arsenal, the player was already talking about his dream to join Boca someday.