Denis Suarez has officially completed his move from Barcelona on Arsenal on loan for the rest of the season, having also agreed to extend his deal at Camp Nou.
Arsenal have made an official statement to announce that they have secured the services of Denis Suarez on a loan deal for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. The Spaniard also agreed to extend his deal with Barcelona till the summer of 2021 before sealing his move to the North London club.
Denis Suarez has endured a stop-start career ever since he joined Barcelona from Manchester City in the summer of 2013. Five-and-a-half years since making his way to Camp Nou, the player has become a sort of a journeyman, having enjoyed fruitful one-year stints at Sevilla and Villarreal, the latter on a permanent deal before he returned to Barcelona.
❗BREAKING NEWS❗@DenisSuarez6 extends his contract and heads to @Arsenal on loan.
All the details ? https://t.co/l9YkKWvgld pic.twitter.com/Dpru4q6Ut7— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 31, 2019
The second coming at Barcelona, however, did not go as planned, with the player being reduced to a bit-part role pretty much since the first season. But, it was under Ernesto Valverde that the Spaniard struggled to no end, managing to start a mere 12 games in a season and a half. With his frustration boiling over, the prospect of a move to Arsenal emerged.
The Gunners have been in the transfer market this month, albeit only for loan deals, with their budgetary problems restricting Unai Emery completely. However, the possibility of signing players on temporary deals remained, which gave Arsenal hope in pursuit of Denis, even though Barcelona reportedly preferred selling him.
The player’s ability to play in the middle of the park as well as in more advanced roles, centrally and out wide potentially makes him an asset for Arsenal, who have now officially confirmed the player’s capture. The North Londoners further reserve the option of making his stay at Emirates permanent.
Before leaving Barcelona, however, the player extended his deal by one year, tying him to the La Liga champions till the summer of 2021. The extension leaves the Blaugrana in a strong position if Arsenal choose not to sign the 25-year-old on a permanent transfer. Meanwhile, the player expressed his delight at joining the Gunners.
“One thing no one knows about me is that when I was little and I used to watch the Premier League on the TV, Arsenal were a team that really inspired me. I used to watch Bergkamp and Henry – they’re both legends of the club and hopefully we can follow in their footsteps.”
Arsenal now have their first loan deal secured, which reunites Unai Emery with Denis Suarez for the first time since their time together at Sevilla. It now remains to be seen if the player can resurrect his career at Emirates, following his struggles at Barcelona.
