Arsenal Reportedly Close to Loan Agreement for Barcelona's Denis Suarez

Arsenal have reportedly increased their interest in Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez and are close to a loan agreement before the winter transfer window shuts on Thursday.

The Independent's Ed Malyon wrote new progress has been made with word that the 25-year-old will now sign the contract extension at Barca that would convince them to loan the player to Arsenal:

AS reported on Tuesday that Suarez has signed an extension at Barca until 2021 and will now be free to complete the short-term move to north London.

Suarez's current deal expires in June, and so Barcelona were seemingly inclined to sell the player to Sevilla, who were more willing to fund a permanent transfer this month. If Suarez extends terms at the Camp Nou, Arsenal would be able to loan the player with an optional purchase rather than an obligation to buy.

John Cross of the Mirror reported Arsenal were confident of a deal. They'll pay £2 million to loan the playmaker for the remainder of the season with an option to purchase his signature in the summer for another £18 million.

Suarez spent the 2014-15 season on loan at Sevilla and was sold to Villarreal in August 2015. Barca exercised their buyback clause to re-sign the Galician one year later but have given him only 16 La Liga starts in the two-and-a-half seasons since.

Malyon mentioned Suarez's extension as little more than a formality to preserve his market value for Barca, and sportswriter Charles Watts elaborated:

Despite his disappointments in Catalonia, Suarez has proved valuable in his stints outside the Camp Nou and offers support across the midfield, both through the middle as well as out wide.

It was with Unai Emery's Sevilla that Suarez played a role in capturing the UEFA Europa League in 2015, but the Arsenal manager wouldn't commit on whether a reunion was close when asked on Tuesday, via Goal:

It seems Emery could be concentrating more resources on strengthening his squad's injury-plagued defence and less on an already equipped midfield.

Journalist Matt Scott illustrated the depth of injuries at the back for the Gunners this season, with Emery largely prevented from forming a consistent defensive selection in his first season:

Suarez is perhaps not best known for his defensive contributions in midfield, although his arrival could ease the pressure on players such as Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka to orchestrate attacks.