Denis Suarez speaks after winter transfer to Arsenal

Spain international Denis Suarez has spoken about the ambition of helping Arsenal qualify for the Champions League after making the switch from Barcelona. The 25-year-old had been on the Gunners radar right from the beginning of the winter transfer window but he made the switch to north London on deadline day after the club agreed on an initial loan with the option to buy.

Speaking after the arrival, Suarez acknowledged that he was fond of the Gunners from his childhood days where he had idolised the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry. He added that he has come to the Gunners to help them secure the top-four spot while potentially enhancing their prospects of winning the Europa League crown.

He said: “When I was little, Arsenal was a team that inspired me. I used to watch Bergkamp and Henry, they’re legends. My football philosophy [is to] have fun, enjoy yourself – and win. I’ve come here to play as much as possible and try to help the team qualify for the Champions League. I’d like to win the Europa League with Arsenal too – why not? It’s a trophy I won under Unai Emery at Sevilla and I’d love to win it again here.”

Suarez only begun training with his new teammates on Friday but Unai Emery has suggested that the Spaniard could feature from the off against Manchester City this weekend. The midfielder has previously been accustomed to the conditions from his time at the Citizens six years ago and Emery remains confident that the attacker would not require much time to make up to the league’s demands.

Arsenal are currently fourth on the Premier League table but they are ahead of Chelsea in terms of the goals scored. As such, the Gunners cannot afford any slip-ups whatsoever but they face a stiff challenge of avoiding a defeat when they make the away trip to Pep Guardiola’s team on Sunday.