Arsenal star opened up on how he 'suffered' with club before joining Atletico Madrid

Arsenal host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, where one player who has pulled on both jerseys is bound to be keeping a watchful eye after "suffering" in the past

Former Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has previously opened up about the "suffering" he endured at the Emirates Stadium before making the switch to Atletico Madrid. The Uruguayan is amongst a select group of players to have turned out for both sides, who are due to meet in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Gunners will welcome Atletico as they look to maintain their flawless record in Europe. Diego Simeone's outfit have already tasted defeat in England this season following their loss at Liverpool, before bouncing back with a commanding 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Expectations were sky-high for Torreira when then-Arsenal manager Unai Emery brought him in from Sampdoria in 2018. Nevertheless, replacement Mikel Arteta sanctioned a loan move to Atleti in the summer of 2020, by which stage the South American had grown deeply disillusioned.

"I've suffered a lot of things, I had a lot of personal problems and more than anything my family also suffered," he told Uruguayan outlet Ovación after joining Atletico on temporary terms. "And with this adventure everyone is very happy.

"The most important thing is to be able to enjoy myself on the pitch, to be able to help teammates and make the fans happy, because in the end football is just that."

Torreira featured 39 times for Arsenal throughout Arteta's inaugural season at the Arsenal helm. He has in the past discussed how the language barrier proved challenging during his spell in the Premier League.

The 29-year-old believed a switch to La Liga with Atletico would resolve that problem. And it swiftly became apparent the midfielder was far happier with his circumstances in the Spanish capital.

"I know I am a year on loan," he continued. "I've been here for four or five days and it seems like it's a lot, because I've been treated very well.

"It's a new opportunity in my life, in which I have fought a lot, because Atletico has always been one of my dreams, one of my goals, and being able to achieve it at the age of 24 is very important."

Despite Torreira's desire to make the transfer permanent, Atletico chose not to extend his stay beyond the loan arrangement. He joined Fiorentina on similar terms having accused Arsenal of costing him his place in the Uruguay squad before finally sealing a permanent move to current club Galatasaray in 2022.

And he seems to have discovered a home that fits him in Istanbul. Torreira, who once described the Arsenal dressing room as "madness," has featured prominently in Gala's resurgence in recent years, claiming three consecutive Super Lig titles since relocating to Turkey.

As two of his former clubs prepare to lock horns for the first time in more than seven years, Torreira may watch on with a hint of regret. The Gunners, meanwhile, will aim to demonstrate how they've progressed for the better as they target a third Champions League victory in as many matches this campaign.