Denis Suarez wasn’t the player Arsenal fans wanted to sign – but he is the footballer fans will find difficult to forget.
The 30-year-old joined the Gunners on loan from Barcelona in January 2019, reuniting him with former Sevilla coach Unai Emery.
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Arsenal were looking for a versatile attacking midfielder who could operate on either wing.
Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku – then at Paris Saint-Germain – had been the club’s top target and Emery was an admirer, having worked with him at the Parc des Princes.
However, no agreement could be reached between the Gunners and Les Parisiens towards the end of the winter window.
As a result, Arsenal had to settle for Suárez, although Emery hoped it was a match made in heaven after their shared Europa League triumph in 2015.
Suarez himself had to prove himself right after two years in Manchester City’s academy before being released in 2013 after just two senior appearances.
The Spaniard arrived at the Emirates by revealing he was inspired by Arsenal as a child and said he wanted to follow in the footsteps of club legends Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
But his dream move ended in a nightmare as Suarez was unable to start a single game due to injury.
He only managed 95 minutes, spread across six substitute appearances, in which he failed to score a goal or provide an assist.
In his four appearances in the Premier League, he was unable to create a single chance for his teammates and did not even have a shot on goal.
He has reportedly penned a £60,000-a-week contract in north London, which will see Suarez receive a whopping £27,000 for every minute he plays.
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And it came as no surprise to anyone that Arsenal didn’t take up their £18m option to buy.
In the weeks following the end of the 2018/19 season, Suárez revealed that it was “a year to forget” after failing to prove his worth.
He also stressed that he was “not even 50 percent fit” due to a groin injury that ended his season in April.
Suarez recently stated that he was sorry for the criticism leveled at Emery for rejecting other players in his favor.
Speaking about his short time at Arsenal, he told The Athletic: “Honestly it was such a shame. I arrived at Arsenal and had physical problems.”
“I couldn’t reach my normal level no matter how hard I tried. It would have been different if I had been fit and competitive, but it just didn’t work out.”
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“I thought the club was fantastic. It’s a privilege to be able to say I played for Arsenal, one of the biggest clubs in the world.”
“It was disappointing for me, but also for Unai.
“I know he was criticized for signing me, because he requested me and turned down other options because he knew me.”
Five and a half years after the departures of Suarez and Mikel Arteta, Arsenal have transformed Arsenal from a laughing stock to regular title contenders.
But Suarez believes Emery was treated unfairly by club bosses after he was sacked after just 18 months as manager.
He noted: “Unai is a top coach and I think he was treated very unfairly at Arsenal.”
“He replaced Wenger, who had been there for so many years. People weren’t as patient with him as they were with Wenger at certain moments.
“When you change a coach who has been there for so long, you are looking for a new identity. I think Unai created one at the club.
“It was a transition phase, both in the player squad and in the infrastructure. The process takes time. Unai led them to a Europa League final and finished in the top five, but they didn’t let him finish the job.”
“It is true that Arsenal are doing very well under Arteta, but it could have been the same under Unai.”
Suarez has remained in Spain since leaving Arsenal, first joining Celta Vigo on a permanent contract before moving to Espanyol on loan and then Villarreal.
And with Nkunku being Chelsea’s top scorer this season with 12 goals, Arsenal fans may be wondering whether he could have proved the difference in winning the league over the last two years.