"Very, very good" Arsenal target tipped to become "fan favourite" at the Emirates

South America football expert Tim Vickery has lauded Orlando City star Facundo Torres following links to Arsenal.

The 22-year-old, who has 12 caps for Uruguay, has impressed in the United States.

In the 2022 Major League Soccer season, he struck 10 goals and provided nine assists in 34 appearances.

That came after a move from his native Uruguay, where Torres played for Penarol.

The 22-year-old's form has caught the attention of major European clubs. On Monday, it was reported by the London Evening Standard that Arsenal are tracking the player, who could provide competition for Bukayo Saka on the right side of attack, and that he could be available for £15 million.

Torres has been recommended by Gunners scout Toni Lima, who was responsible for bringing the likes of Neymar and Philippe Coutinho to Europe from South America.

And now, another football expert based in South America has given his verdict on the player.

Tim Vickery on Facundo Torres

Although he now plays in the States, Torres was born in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, and came through the Penarol youth system.

He has also been capped at U15, U17 and U20 youth level for his country, and made his senior debut last year.

And speaking to talkSPORT on Tuesday, Vickery was full of praise for the player, and cited how his adaptation to the MLS can help him in England.

He said (quotes via HITC): "He's good. Torres is a little playmaker. Very, very good one vs one.

"The ball is tied to his feet. There is a swagger and a style.

"The Premier League will come as a culture shock. But the MLS is much quicker than the South American domestic leagues, so he's in a halfway house there.

"If he can hit the ground running, he'll be a fans' favourite. But I suspect that, if he does make the move, it will take him a bit of time to adapt."

Arsenal fans will love to hear the fans' favourite line, especially given the success of their recent summer signings under Mikel Arteta.

Gabriel Jesus, for instance, is already a firm favourite amongst the Gunners faithful, whilst Fabio Vieira has also impressed when afforded opportunities after signing from Porto.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, meanwhile, started his Arsenal career superbly, but has suffered numerous injury setbacks in recent months.

With Arsenal still top of the Premier League by two points, any January signings - including Torres - could go a long way to helping them stay there come the end of the season.