Denis Suarez Rejects Move to West Ham & Holds Out for Arsenal Transfer

​Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez has rejected the chance to join West Ham United, after the Hammers launched a £20m bid to acquire his services.

Suarez is on the periphery at Barca and is keen to link up with his former manager, Unai Emery, at Arsenal - and this desire is reported to be a key factor in his decision to turn down the offer from the Gunners' London rivals.

Emery is labelled as "desperate" to sign the former Manchester City star, according to a report from the Sun, but Arsenal are struggling to complete the deal because of a lack of funds. Arsenal's ideal scenario for the moment is to land the player on loan for the rest of the season, before completing a permanent move for the player in the summer.

​West Ham understood there was an asking fee of £20m from Barca's side, and have offered to hijack Arsenal's move by paying the fee up front. Suarez, however, has told ​Barcelona he only wants to move to Arsenal, and it's believed he's ready to stay until the end of the season if Arsenal can't strike an agreement now.

The two worked together at Sevilla where Suarez spent the 2014/15 season on loan. It proved to be a successful stint as the pair won the Europa League.

West Ham have a significantly depleted squad because of large number of long term injuries and are apparently keen to acquire the midfielders services. Suarez has casted his eye on the Premier League as a potential option to revitalise his career after failing to nail down a place at Barcelona.