- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Scouting AC Milan’s Next Potential Superstar Signing Lucas Torreira
- Updated: September 19, 2016
AC Milan got their season back on track with an impressive 1-0 win away to Sampdoria last Friday night, though they would have failed to keep a clean sheet were it not for the safe hands of their 17-year-old goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The young shot-stopper is a footballing prodigy, a player whose maturity and composure belies his tender years. In this respect, he is one among many in Serie A. Indeed, his first major save during Milan’s latest victory kept out a shot by fellow prospect Lucas Torreira.
Sampdoria’s 20-year-old midfielder tested Donnarumma’s increasingly renowned reflexes with a long-range thunderbolt in the first half of that match before going on to put in an assured performance, contributing particularly well defensively with three tackles and two interceptions, per WhoScored.com.
Having never played at this level before, Torreira has now started every single one of the Blucerchiati’s four Serie A games so far this season and has impressed consistently. Consequently, he is one of the rising young talents in the league.
And Milan would be wise to keep tabs on his progress.
Born in Fray Bentos, Uruguay, Torreira joined the youth system of Montevideo Wanderers at the age of 17. However, before long he moved to Europe, following in the footsteps of esteemed compatriots such as Edinson Cavani, Paolo Montero and Alvaro Recoba in making Italian football his first port of call.
He signed for Pescara, who were then plying their trade in Serie B, in January 2014, and after impressing for the Delfini’s primavera squad, he made his league debut for the first team in May 2015 against Varese.
Despite only briefly appearing in the 2014-15 season, Torreira turned heads. Sampdoria, eager to stay one step ahead of the competition, secured his permanent signature in the summer of 2015 for a fee of £1.7 million, per Transfermarkt.
However, with the player in need of regular exposure to competitive football, he was immediately sent back to Pescara on loan. Under Massimo Oddo’s auspices, he broke through with some energetic displays to help his temporary employers earn promotion via the play-offs.
On July 4, Torreira’s chances of earning an opportunity with his parent club significantly increased when Sampdoria hired Marco Giampaolo as their new head coach, replacing the Milan-bound Vincenzo Montella.
The 49-year-old Swiss worked wonders with Empoli last term, bolstering his reputation not only for an ability to implement entertaining and attack-minded football but for his willingness to blood previously untested young players.
Under Giampaolo’s stewardship, 22-year-old Argentine playmaker Leandro Paredes flourished at the base of midfield, while Piotr Zielinski (also 22) thrived on the right of a diamond midfield. The former is now competing for a starting place at Roma, while the latter is doing the same with Napoli.
Torreira appears the latest player …
