Arsenal ace admits he was in awe of two stars upon summer arrival

Lucas Torreira admits he is still pinching himself over his summer move to Arsenal and admits there were two stars he was slightly in awe of when he first entered the changing rooms.

The Uruguay midfielder joined the club in a £22million deal from Sampdoria over the summer and has already looked a shrewd investment for Unai Emery’s side, with his combative qualities making him a firm favourite among the Gunners faithful.

After proving himself in Serie A last season, it would have been easy to assume Torreira would have taken a move to the Premier League in his stride, but Torreira admits there were a few doubts about himself when he first arrived at Emirates Stadium.

“On my first day, they said to me where my locker would be located and it’s right by [Mesut] Ozil and [Alexandre] Lacazette,” he told the Evening Standard.

“It’s something that I definitely couldn’t have imagined for a moment or dreamed about. It’s a privilege.”

The 22-year-old, however, admits he has plenty of room for improvements, none more so than with the tactical side of the game under Emery.

“The manager has spoken to me a lot and made sure I understand everything,” he added. “It’s important that he is able to explain everything to me in Spanish because it can be quite complicated when he’s explaining the principles of the team. He wants to make sure the whole team understands the points he is making the best they can.

“I am going to get to grips better with all the tactical aspects of how Arsenal play.”