Denis Suárez has described 2018-2019 as a year “to forget” and said he was only ever half-fit at Arsenal due to a pelvic injury. The Spanish midfielder also insists that he has no intention of continuing at Barcelona, where he still has two years left on his contract, but does not want to play in the Premier League again and prefers to remain in La Liga. Valencia have shown the greatest interest in signing him.

Suárez joined Arsenal at the end of January on loan from Barcelona but played just six times in a desperately disappointing spell for the club – twice in Europe and four times in the league. He told Cadena Ser radio he did not feel right from his second game at the club, against Bate Borisov.

“At the end of the game I thought that I had torn my groin and they did a scan and saw that I had an oedema [a build-up of fluid] on the bone in my pelvis,” he said. “I thought I had torn something; I was in a lot of pain. And from then on I carried on training with medication and putting up with it as best I could but I didn’t feel right and [Unai] Emery didn’t think I was right. I wasn’t comfortable. I don’t think I was even at 50%. After 15 days of being at Arsenal, I wasn’t right. From the 16th I wasn’t even at 50%.”

“When I went to Arsenal, I remember that I got there on a Thursday. That Sunday I played against Manchester City. Then we had a break because of the FA Cup. Emery gave us some days off that weekend, [but] I stayed to train. On the Thursday at Bate Borisov I played.”

It was there, the Spaniard said, that his loan spell unravelled, completing a year “to forget” – one that had “started badly” with two injuries at Barcelona and a six-month spell in which he played just eight times, four of those in the Copa del Rey. “But I take some positives from it,” he said. “It’s something to learn from, to take better decisions in the future, prevent injuries, and to improve.”

Suárez added: “I have two years left at Barcelona; I renewed my contact before I left. What I want is to play. At Barcelona I think I’m not going to have the opportunity to participate regularly and what I want is to leave and to play. Where? I don’t know. Wherever is best for me. I have to look at everything. My idea is to stay in the Spanish League, to be near home and compete in La Liga. The experience of the Premier League, which is a league I love, didn’t go well because of the injury and I prefer to continue my career in Spain if I can.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has admitted to struggling with life in England following his big-money move from Italy last summer. The Uruguay international joined the Gunners in a £26.4m deal from Sampdoria where he had spent the previous two seasons.

Despite making 50 appearances under manager Unai Emery last season, Torreira claims he has so far found it difficult to adapt.

Speaking to Uruguayan outlet Ovacion ahead of his country’s opening Copa America clash against Ecuador on Sunday, Torreira said: “I don’t know if there are many things that I enjoy. I think I had a better time in Italy. England is a totally different world. The language (barrier) has stopped me being able to relate with my team-mates and the people. It is very difficult when you can’t have dialogue.

“And then there is the weather. You go out in the morning and it is cloudy, you arrive at your house in the afternoon and it is cloudy.

“We are from here (Uruguay) and we are used to always - or almost always - having the sun. But as the years go by, I’m going to adapt.”

