During his time at the club, Gilberto Silva earned the nickname 'The Invisible Wall' due to his effectiveness in shielding the back four.
Now the former Invincibles midfielder - speaking ahead of the Brazil v Uruguay game at Emirates on November 16 - believes we may have finally found a long-term replacement for him in Lucas Torreira.
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“I thought in the World Cup he played very well for Uruguay,” Gilberto said. “It was nice because you compare the way this guy plays – his stature is not high, he’s a middle-sized player – but he knows how to position himself and play nice football.
“He makes things simple, and of course at Arsenal we have a lot of expectation for him to keep the team ticking, the support and the position.
“Arsenal need somebody like that, and I hope that he does well.”
Gilberto is looking forward to seeing more of Torreira in action against his compatriots when Uruguay take on Brazil, and is expecting an entertaining clash in north London.
“I think they’ll get a very nice crowd, with expectation around their return to London, to Emirates Stadium,” he said.
“It’s the new cycle now, looking forward to the new project of four years for the next World Cup.
"It starts now, selecting players for this time, to see how everyone’s going to respond to what the coach wants from everyone. I believe that they’re going to get a good crowd.”
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