Arsenal’s Lucas Torreira wanted to return to South America in the summer, to be closer to his family after losing his mother.
Back in April, the midfielder’s father revealed the 25-year-old was very keen on joining Boca Juniors.
That didn’t happen and the Gunners owned player ended up at Fiorentina on a season-long loan deal in August. The Serie A side retain an option to make his stay permanent.
TNT Sports interviewed the Uruguay international, and he publicly expressed his admiration towards Boca Juniors.
“Everything came up after the death of my mother, I expressed my feelings, my desire to be part of a club that I admire very much and that I do not have the possibility of knowing, I have not been to La Bombonera. I only saw the final in Madrid,” he said.
“No one contacted me. Yes, Roman [Juan Román Riquelme] was talking to me, we exchanged a couple of messages because he wanted to be present for my mother’s funeral,” Torreira explained.
“As time went by, I returned to Madrid to finish my [loan] contract with Atlético and I was losing hope.
“I imagined that at some point they could have communicated with me, but as time went on and everything cooled down after my statements, I also understood that for the club it was something difficult.
“I don’t intend for Boca to go looking for an Arsenal player. I am not angry or outraged at anyone. I understood the situation, you don’t have to criticise the leadership of Boca for not having gone to look for me.”
Torreira’s contract at Arsenal expires in 2023 and it’s too early to suggest whether or not Fiorentina will make his loan deal permanent next summer.
Despite the summer disappointment of not being able to join Boca Juniors, the South American still dreams of a move there at some point in his career.
“Obviously I was hopeful, but I knew it would not be easy. If I went to Boca, I knew that the salaries that are handled in South America are totally different from those of here, but that, obviously, that if it happened, it would be considered,” Torreira stressed.
“The best thing for me was to be close to my family, so an agreement was going to be reached.
“The dream continues to exist and continues to fill me. Time passes and I still feel something very nice for Boca. If it does not happen soon, it will be in the next few years. The important thing is always to keep the dream alive and prepare because I am sure that at some point, it will happen.”
