Arsenal have finally sold defensive midfielder Lucas Torreira with Galatasaray signing the unwanted player for just £7.75 million. A lot was expected of Torreira over the years, but the South American never fulfilled his potential at the Emirates after joining in 2018 from Sampdoria.

The Gunners paid £26m to Serie A’s Sampdoria for Torreira in July 2018. Unfortunately for the Gunners, Torreira failed to bed-in to the north London side. The midfielder’s inability to bed-in to the team led to loan moves to Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina.

The Premier League season is underway and Arsenal have some massive fixtures in the early stages of the new campaign. Gunners’ fans can use the new bet365 bonus code when signing up to the industry leading sportsbook. Fans can then bet on Arsenal in all of their big games.

Last season, Torreira played on loan at Fiorentina, helping La Viola finish in the top half of the Serie A table. Having made an impact for at both Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina, it is a surprise that Torreira has chosen Galatasaray over other clubs. The low price Galatasaray paid for Torreira is also a shock after the Gunners paid so much money for the midfielder just four years ago.

Torreira’s decision to play for Galatasaray could be directly related to the World Cup in November. The midfielder will likely be included in the Uruguay national team squad for the World Cup in Qatar. Playing for Galatasaray will give Torreira the chance to play regularly and ahead of the tournament. Had the midfielder remained at Arsenal or gone to another big team in Europe, he may not have played as much as hoped prior to the World Cup.

The midfielder played a mere 89 times for Arsenal, scoring four goals and assisting six in all competitions. Torreira played just two seasons at the Emirates before moving on loan to Spain.

Torreira’s first season at Arsenal saw him play 34 Premier League goals. He scored two goals and added two assists to the Gunners’ cause that season. In the follow-up campaign, Torreira played 29 times for the Gunners in the league, scoring once and assisting one goal.

In 2018, when Torreira was signed by Arsenal, he was expected to solve the various midfield problems Arsenal had and, in many ways, still do. Arteta was never convinced by the Uruguay international and was happy to let him leave.

Arsenal are attempting to offload a few unwanted players at the club. Manager Mikel Arteta has highlighted a few players that he wants to move on and the funds generated could see Arsenal reinvest in the squad. Along with Torreira, defenders Pablo Mari and Hector Bellerin are expected to leave before the transfer window closes in September.

If Arteta can raise more funds this summer, he could sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby. The forward is one of Arsenal’s top emerging targets. The Gunners are also still interested in midfielder Youri Tielemans. The Belgian could arrive to add depth to the Arsenal midfield.

The Gunners started the Premier League season with an away 2-0 win against Crystal Palace. The victory raised hopes of a strong season from Arteta’s squad.