Arsenal will send on-loan midfielder Denis Suarez back to Barcelona when the season ends after the Spaniard failed to impress manager Unai Emery.
The signing of Denis Suarez was an odd one during the January window, as Arsenal needed a defender more than a midfielder. The curtains on Denis Suarez’s adventure in London are about to fall as The Sun reports that Arsenal are not planning to make his loan signing permanent during the summer.
The Gunners signed Suarez from Barcelona on loan during the January window after many days of negotiations. Barcelona wanted an outright deal for the midfielder, who was already surplus to requirements at Camp Nou, but Arsenal insisted on only a loan deal. He eventually signed a one-year contract extension with Barcelona before moving to London.
Arsenal do have the option to make his signing permanent and would have to pay £18 million to do so. Now it looks like the Gunners are reluctant to take up that option after Suarez’s failure to impose himself in the team and making no impression whatsoever on manager Unai Emery during his time at the Emirates.
Suarez has featured only six times for Arsenal since the January move, each time from the bench, playing a grand total of 95 minutes during this period. With the Spaniard subsequently failing to impress, the Gunners are more likely to pursue other targets instead of signing him permanently.
Christopher Nkunku of PSG was one of Arsenal’s prime target during the January window, but the club failed to sign him. But, the Gunners are reportedly set to rekindle that interest once again. The French under-21 international played under Emery when the Spaniard was the PSG manager and was reportedly keen on a January move.
In addition to Nkunku, Arsenal also seem to be interested in Rennes winger Ismaila Sarr, having held talks with the Ligue 1 club over the possibility of signing him in the summer transfer window. So, it looks like there are a couple of alternatives on the table for Arsenal, with Denis Suarez unlikely to be signed permanently.
Barcelona might look to offload Suarez permanently in the summer, as they can demand a modest transfer fee for a player who will have only one year left on his deal in the summer. But, for now, it looks like Arsenal will not be one of the suitors in pursuit of the struggling Spaniard.
