“It was better in Italy”: Arsenal midfielder lifts lid on struggles adapting to life in England
Lucas Torreira has admitted he has found the adjustment to life in England difficult since joining Arsenal from Sampdoria last summer.
The Uruguay international arrived at the Emirates in a £26 million deal after an impressive spell in Serie A.
However, Torreira told Uruguayan outlet Ovacion that the climate and language have been difficult obstacles to overcome amid rumours that AC Milan could offer him a chance to return to Italy and reunite with former boss Marco Giampaolo.
Despite the speculation, the 23-year-old hinted that he hopes to get used to his new surroundings in the years to come.
"I don’t know if there are many things that I enjoy,” he said, as reported by the Mirror.
"I think it was better in Italy. England is a totally different world, a very large country.
"The language [barrier] has stopped me, to be able to relate with my teammates and with the people. It is very difficult when you can’t have dialogue.
"And so is the climate. You go out in the morning and it is cloudy, you arrive late to your home and it is cloudy.
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"It is strange a little bit, the sun, the more of us that we are here and we are accustomed to having always or almost always the sun. But as the years pass, I’m going to be adapting."
Torreira also identified the frequency of matches as another new challenge after completing the campaign with 50 games under his belt.
"I had to get used to playing every three days, which is very hard. There were many more matches," he said.
"But for me, the balance was positive and I am satisfied and happy with what I did in the year."
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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.