Football

Arsene Wenger turned down chance to sign Denis Suarez year before loan move to Arsenal


Suarez joined Arsenal on loan for the second half of the season (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal rejected the chance to sign Denis Suarez a year before the Barcelona forward made a six-month loan switch to the club, reports say.

Suarez returned to Barcelona at the end of the season after a disastrous spell with Arsenal, failing to make a single start under Unai Emery.

It was Emery and Arsenal’s head of football Raul Sanllehi who ‘championed’ the signing of Suarez in January, but Football London claim Arsene Wenger was not so keen a year before the Spaniard’s eventual move.

Arsenal were offered the opportunity to bring Suarez to the club on a short-term basis, but were concerned the 25-year-old wouldn’t be able to make any real impact on the team.

Suarez failed to make a single start at Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Brighton and Hove Albion and Southampton were also given the chance to bring Suarez to the Premier League, but he ultimately stayed at the Nou Camp for the second half of the 2017/18 season.

Although Wenger was not the only voice in the decision making, it was decided Suarez was not suited to making an immediate impact on the team.

Just over a year on, and Arsenal’s first instincts were proven right as Suarez failed to make the grade at the Emirates.

Wenger was not keen on the idea of signing Suarez (Picture: Getty)

Injury sidelined Suarez at the end of the campaign, but by then Emery had already appeared to have given up on the player, despite believing in January the former Sevilla man was the perfect fit for his team.

Suarez made just six appearances in total for Arsenal, playing for 95 minutes in total.

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