Arsenal have reportedly received a boost as reports in Spain claim that Barcelona will allow Denis Suarez to leave on loan with just an option to buy.
The Gunners have been heavily linked with the 25-year-old for some time, with Spanish football expert Guillem Balague stating on Tuesday that a key obstacle stood in the way of a deal.
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#ARS still aiming for 2 loans. They finding with Perisic same difficulty as with Denis Suarez. Only want loan, no obligation to buy. Inter and FCB not accepting it
Swap for Ozil not in the cards#GBTransfershow being prepared. Set up notifications
? https://t.co/v3uk7gIWQF— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) January 29, 2019
It had been suggested that while Arsenal wanted an option to buy in the deal, Barcelona were demanding an obligation, and that seemingly had led to a stand-off, as per his tweet above.
However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the situation has now been unlocked as it’s reported that Suarez has agreed to sign a contract renewal with the Catalan giants until 2021, which in turn has allowed Barcelona to gain security on him and allow him to leave on loan with an option.
The Spanish midfield has struggled for playing time this season, as he has made just eight appearances in all competitions having been pushed down the pecking order at the Nou Camp.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the report above suggests that he was eager to join Arsenal, and so he’ll now hope a reunion with Unai Emery after their time together at Sevilla can help him get his career back on track, assuming a switch to Arsenal now materialises.
Given the reported contract extension, Barcelona remain in a strong position to demand a significant fee for Suarez this summer. If he doesn’t pen that new deal, he’d be going into the last year of his current contract which would leave the La Liga champions vulnerable to losing him for less than their valuation of him.
It’s a win-win situation for all if it goes through, as Suarez should get a more prominent role while Arsenal get a midfield reinforcement to boost their hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League this season. Time will tell if an official announcement arrives from either club before the deadline.
