If claims coming out of Catalonia on Thursday evening are to be believed, then Arsenal have made a leap forward with their efforts to sign Denis Suarez from Barcelona.
Negotiations have been ongoing for weeks according to numerous reports from Barca’s local media, and it was made clear right from the start that Suarez had targeted a move to Arsenal, rather than the Gunners pinpointing the Spaniard.
Suarez is tired of not having prominence at Barcelona and wants to work for Unai Emery again, feeling he can fit into the manager’s tactical system.
Arsenal have refused to pay a transfer fee in January, but Barca wanted to help Suarez get his move so it was thought a loan with compulsory purchase option would do the trick. Then it was explained that the Premier League club were insisting on having the option to sign the player in the summer, rather than being forced to do so.
Mundo Deportivo now carry a report from RAC1 which says Arsenal are willing to pay €2m plus €20m for Suarez.
How does that work?
Well, it seems that Suarez would arrive on a €2m loan with the option Arsenal wanted, rather than obligation, and they can buy him for €20m next summer.
It’s not made abundantly clear, but Mundo Deportivo say Barcelona want to extend Suarez’s contract, which currently runs until 2020, by another year before agreeing to the deal.
They’d only do that if there’s a chance of Arsenal not purchasing.
