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Denis Suarez made just six appearances for Arsenal
The name Denis Suarez still sends a shiver down the spine of any Arsenal fan who remembers his ill-fated loan spell at the club, but the player himself insists he harbours no regrets about his stay in north London.
After failing to persuade the club’s board to sign Christopher Nkunku from Paris Saint-Germain, Unai Emery was forced to settle for the loan signing of his compatriot in the winter of 2019.
Arsenal, at the time, were handily placed to qualify for the Champions League and were on the way to making the Europa League final.
A late season collapse, however, saw the Gunners miss out on the top four before suffering a humiliating 4-1 defeat against Chelsea in Baku that cost them a place in Europe’s top tier competition.
Had Arsenal shown more ambition in that January transfer window, Unai Emery’s career may have panned out very differently.
His one January recruit, Suarez, was able only to make six appearances and failed to make a solitary start due to various fitness issues.
‘It was such a shame, honestly,’ the 30-year-old tells The Athletic. ‘I arrived at Arsenal and had physical problems.
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Arsenal fans never saw the best of Denis Suarez
‘I wasn’t able to reach my normal level, no matter how much I tried. It would have been different if I had been fit and able to compete. But it just didn’t work out.’
He added: ‘I thought the club was fantastic. ‘It’s a privilege to be able to say that I played for Arsenal, one of the greatest clubs in the world.
‘It was disappointing for me, but also for Unai. ‘I know he was criticised for signing me, because he requested me and rejected other options because he knew me.’
Arsenal are currently thriving under Mikel Arteta, but Emery too has rebuilt his reputation, firstly at Suarez’s current club, Villarreal, before steering Aston Villa to Champions League qualification in his first full season.
‘Unai is a top coach and I think he was treated very unfairly at Arsenal,’ says Suarez of his former manager.
Arsenal Unveil New Signing Denis Suarez
Unai Emery signed Denis Suarez for Arsenal in a loan deal from Celta Vigo
‘He took over from Wenger, who had been there for so many years. People were not as patient with him as they had been with Wenger in certain moments.
‘When you change a coach that has been there for so long, you look for a new identity. I think Unai was creating one at the club. It was a period of transition, both in the playing squad and the infrastructure. The process takes time. Unai took them to a Europa League final and finished in the top five, but they didn’t let him finish the job.
‘It’s true that Arsenal are doing very well under Arteta, but it could have been the same with Unai. You just have to look at the job Unai has done at Aston Villa. His record speaks for itself.
‘If they had given him a longer run, Arsenal would soon have been fighting for the league and the Champions League. He’s not far off that now with Aston Villa, who are one rung below Arsenal in terms of club profile.
‘Plus, if you compare Arteta’s team with the one Unai had at Arsenal, it’s night and day. I’m not sure a single player from Unai’s side would make it into the line-up today.’
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