Former Sampdoria midfielder Lucas Torreira is ‘so proud’ of his move to Arsenal but admits he expected to stay in Serie A.
Torreira was heavily linked with Napoli before his €30m switch to Arsenal over the summer, although the Uruguayan has become an instant fans’ favourite at Emirates Stadium.
“At the end of my last season at Sampdoria there were lots of teams being talked about,” he told the Gunners’ official Youtube channel.
Former Sampdoria midfielder Lucas Torreira is ‘so proud’ of his move to Arsenal but admits he expected to stay in Serie A.
Torreira was heavily linked with Napoli before his €30m switch to Arsenal over the summer, although the Uruguayan has become an instant fans’ favourite at Emirates Stadium.
“At the end of my last season at Sampdoria there were lots of teams being talked about,” he told the Gunners’ official Youtube channel.
“I never imagined coming here to England because it was mainly Italian clubs being mentioned.
“Before I left for the World Cup I got a call from the Coach [Unai Emery] which was a massive surprise for me.
“I knew that I had earned it because of all my hard work and everything that I had done. That phone call made me a happy man.
“It allowed me to relax too because it allowed me to focus all my attention on the national team and the World Cup. I’m so proud to be part of such an important team.
“It hasn’t been easy though: there’s the language and the issue of communicating. I’m lucky because the Coach is Spanish and the coaching staff are too, so that makes things easier for me because they can explain things in Spanish to me.
“It’s also not been easy to adapt to the football here: the intensity, the tempo and quality of games.
“At Sampdoria I had been used to playing in Serie A and Coppa Italia, whereas now I’m involved in four competitions here as well as the national team.”