EXCLUSIVE: Former Gunner Viv Anderson has been speaking to Islington Gazette Arsenal reporter Layth Yousif. With Denis Suarez signing for the club read on for more from the respected ex-England defender.

Popular Viv, who is taking part in Prostate Cancer UK’s ride to Amsterdam this summer, has been analysing the Gunners transfer window dealings – or lack of prior to the North London giants landing Denis Suarez on loan.

With boss Unai Emery persuading Suarez to join in a temporary deal from Barcelona for the rest of the season – with a view to a permanent move in the summer – Anderson has been discussing the pitfalls of transfer moves in the January transfer window.

He said: “I always think, unless you’re desperate, you should stay away from this transfer window because you don’t get the choice of the better players.

“Most of the big clubs do their business in the summer time.”

The highly-respected Anderson who lifted two European Cups with Nottingham Forest before signing for Arsenal in 1984, playing at Highbury for three years until he put pen to paper for Alex Ferguson at Manchester United believes landing players during the winter transfer window in general is a risky business, adding: “The players you get in this transfer window are not ideally the players you want anyway because the ones who are available are not in the Champions League and the better players are at a later stage in the Champions League.”

However Emery is getting a class player in Suarez who has already experience the Premier League.

The new Arsenal player signed for Manchester City and won the fans Young Player of the Year Award in 2012 before joining Barcelona in 2013 where he began playing for Barcelona B.

Suarez has a strong relationship with Emery stemming from when the pair were at Sevilla in 2015.

Suarez labelled Emery as “one of the best coaches around” and claimed “the way he treats players is exceptional.”

In further positive news Suarez can play in the Europa League after UEFA changed their rules in March when it was revealed they were overhauling the issue of player registrations.

The new rules states three January signings would be allowed to play for their new clubs during the knockout stages of the the Champions League and Europa League, without restrictions.

For more information about taking part in the 2019 ride, go to prostatecanceruk.org/amsterdam or contact the cycling team by calling 020 3310 7034 or emailing cycling@prostatecanceruk.org.

By signing up before Friday February 15, riders can get a £25 discount off the registration fee by entering code TRANSFER25.

To sponsor Viv, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/viv-anderson5.