5 of the strangest loan deals of the last decade (2010-2019)

#5 Denis Suarez – Barcelona to Arsenal (2018-19)

Denis Suarez's loan to Arsenal was basically pointless

We’ve seen numerous loan deals over the years turn out to be a waste of time, as the player making the move barely kicks a ball before returning to their parent club. Perhaps the best example of that was seen in 2018-19, as Spanish midfielder Denis Suarez made a strange – and largely pointless – loan switch to Arsenal.

The Gunners’ pursuit of Suarez went on for what felt like months, with plenty of click-bait articles dedicated to his potential move, so when he finally made the move to the Emirates, fans were understandably excited. Suarez had played under boss Unai Emery before, and was expected to gradually replace the outgoing Aaron Ramsey in the team’s midfield.

Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, the Spaniard could never adjust to the English game, and a string of minor injuries didn’t help either. By the end of the season, Suarez had completed just 67 minutes across 4 Premier League appearances, and unsurprisingly failed to score a goal or make an assist.

The summer of 2019 saw him return to the Nou Camp – and shortly after, he was quickly sold to Celta Vigo. To make matters worse for Arsenal, they ended up paying £2.17 million in a loan fee for the midfielder, as well as his £55,000 per week wages – meaning this pointless loan cost them around £28,105 for every minute he actually played.