Arsenal: Something must be happening with Denis Suarez

Denis Suarez is yet to make a start in his six-month loan at Arsenal. While he has not done much wrong in his limited time, something must be going on for Unai Emery to not completely trust him.

Arsenal needed some wingers. After selling Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the past year, and suffering some key injuries at an already depleted position, the Gunners entered the January transfer window in desperate need of a wide attacker.

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But with little money to go out and buy one, — Unai Emery even conceded that the club could not afford a permanent signing at all — more contorted ways had to be employed to sign that wide attacker. And Emery and Raul Sanllehi duly turned to their links in Spain to sign a temporary wide solution: Denis Suarez of Barcelona.

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Suarez arrived at the Emirates on a six-month loan deal with an option to buy. There was a delay with the deal as Barcelona wanted to commit to an obligation but Sanllehi and Emery were insistent that it remained an option, giving them the freedom to walk away from Suarez as a permanent prospect in the summer.

As a result, much of the discussion around Suarez has centred on whether Arsenal would be wise to exercise that option in the summer, reportedly worth in the region of £20 million, which is fairly reasonable for a player of his talent, if not production. And so far, it is difficult to say whether he actually is or not. Nearly two months into his time at the club, Suarez is yet to make a start. He has featured in just 95 minutes of complete action.

It would be rather naive — ambitious at best — to make a reasoned argument as to whether Arsenal should make his move permanent or not. There is simply not enough evidence to suggest either way. But it is perhaps reasonable to question whether there is something going on.

As mere fans and media analysts, were rarely if ever get a peek into the behind-the-scenes action. We do not know how the players are performing in training. We do not know they are working on. We do not know if they are impressing or failing to impress. But we can see the results in the team selection, and in Suarez’s case, something is certainly happening in the background.

Whether Suarez has struggled to acclimatise himself with a new squad, whether it is that he has not displayed his qualities in front of Emery, or whether it is that he is simply not good enough, there is obviously a reason why Emery does not trust him to start.

What happens with Suarez in the future remains to be seen. But if he never gets a start, he will never be able to make the move permanent. And without starts, something must be happening behind the scenes.