Arsenal to sign Denis Suarez on loan from Barcelona imminently

The deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday evening

Arsenal are closing in on the loan signing of Denis Suarez from Barcelona, reports have claimed. Despite interest from Sevilla and Real Betis - both of which were said to be willing to take him on a permanent deal - it now appears Suarez will complete a switch to The Emirates for the remainder of the season in the near future. The 25-year-old is said to have pleaded with Barca to allow him to make the move to England - something the LaLiga champions now appear to have agreed. Though Suarez could even sign a long-term deal with Arsenal at the end of the season, the Catalan club have forced him to extend his current contract at the Camp Nou - which expires at the end of the 2019/20 campaign - in order to protect his market value. The midfielder, who has previously played for Manchester City's youth sides, joined Barcelona from Villarreal in 2016. Having found first team opportunities limited under Ernesto Valverde this season, he is said to be keen to join Arsenal so that he can play under Unai Emery, his former coach at Sevilla, once again. Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Inter Milan's Ivan Perisic this month, a deal that now seems unlikely given Suarez's imminent arrival and the amount of time left to conclude a transfer before the close of the transfer window. In terms of departures, it's also been claimed that Arsenal are open to allowing Mesut Ozil to leave the club before the deadline. The German international's contract, signed only a year ago, sees him pocket £350,000-a-week.