Arsenal: Denis Suarez fitness calamity very concerning

Denis Suarez stated that he was only 50% fit when he signed for Arsenal. That type of recruitment strategy is concerning, to say the least.

Denis Suarez’s time at Arsenal could not really have gone any worse.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — The Big Season Review

He was desperate to leave Barcelona where playing time was dwindling, and so he was happy to take any job that came, especially one that offered the prospect of reuniting with a former manager who he enjoyed working under, and the Gunners were equally as desperate for a winger. This was a marriage of desperation and convenience. Predictably, it did not work.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

But from an Arsenal perspective, the decision to sign him in the first place, although driven out of urgency and dire need, is a little concerning for what it could mean regarding the recruitment process moving forward, especially if the reports that head of recruitment Sven Mislintat departed because of the pursuit of Suarez over some of his propositions are true.

Those concerns are only heightened by what Suarez had to say to Cadena SER this week. When asked about his future, his health, and his time in north London, the 25-year-old said:

"“I’m still recovering from the injury, I’m practically fully recovered. On the 16th day of arriving at Arsenal I was not even 50 per cent, it was a year to forget but also to learn. I have been in Barcelona for two months recovering from the injury and nobody from Barca has told me anything.”"

Now, I understand that Unai Emery and Raul Sanllehi felt that they had no choice, and I can see the logic in their desperation of being able to sign a semi-capable wide attacker for essentially nothing when their budget was painfully thin. But signing a player on a six-month loan who is 50% fit rings alarm bells regarding the due diligence of their recruitment.

Had Suarez been signed on a permanent basis, let’s say, the fitness, although a little concerning, is not a major worry. You are wanting him to be an influence a year or two or three in the future, not just from day one. But because he arrived at the Emirates on a six-month loan, to gain any utility from the transfer, he needed to have an immediate impact on the team. How can that be the case if he is 50% fit?

In the end, Suarez played a little over an hour of Premier League football, did not make one competitive start, and was released in April through injury, his last outing coming on March 10th. The rigour of the recruitment process should certainly be called into question.

What this means for the summer transfer window, it is difficult to say with any certainty just yet. This is one signing after all. Drawing judgements on small sample sizes is not wise. But it would be foolish to say that the Suarez fitness calamity does not cast a negative light on Arsenal’s January business. It most certainly does, and that is troubling for the summer that is to come.