GOAL - James Wedstwood
Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has admitted that it is his "dream" to complete a move to Boca Juniors at some point in the future.
The Gunners paid £26 million ($32m) to lure Torreira away from Sampdoria in the summer of 2018, and he quickly endeared himself to supporters with his combative displays in the middle of the park.
The 24-year-old was one of the first names on Unai Emery's team sheet last season as he racked up 50 appearances in total across all competitions.
However, the Uruguay international has yet to nail down a regular starting spot under Emery's successor Mikel Arteta, who was drafted in to replace the former Paris Saint-Germain boss in November following a poor run of results.
Rumours of a potential return to Italy for Torreira have been swirling ahead of the summer transfer window, but he appears more interested in a switch to Argentina.
MEDEL: VIDAL "DYING" TO JOIN BOCA JUNIORS
The tenacious tackler says that while he is planning to remain in European football for a "while" yet, he also harbours a burning "desire" to join Boca - and not simply as a final stop before he hangs up his boots.
"I imagine a Copa Libertadores night at the Bombonera wearing Boca’s shirt, of course," Torreira told Fox Sports.
"Right now my head is in Europe and I want to stay for a while.
"But I have that desire and dream to go [to Boca] – and not just to retire, but to compete and feel what the Boca world is."
Torreira went on to detail how he developed such a deep passion for the Buenos Aires-based club, while opening up on his disappointment following their defeat to River Plate in the 2018 Copa Libertadores final.
"My family are big soccer fans and we Uruguayans watch a lot of Argentine football," he added.
"It is one of the most important [teams] in South America, very passionate, so from a very young age this affection, this love for Boca was born.
"I had to go to the Madrid final and when the game ended I thought I wasn’t going to be so mad but I was very sad, for the defeat and for how the game had been.
"It was the time I got to see Boca as a fan. It is true that I have great affection for the club and hopefully it will be forever.
"In Fray Bentos, I have many friends who are fans of Boca."
