Despite of all the controversies surrounding him, the former Ajax man remains on the radar of European heavyweights with Barcelona the most likely club to clinch his signature. Real Madrid were interested in bringing the Liverpool star to Bernabeu, but his mammoth transfer fee has prevented Los Blancos from making a move for him after spending a 100 million dollars on Gareth Bale last season.
Madrid’s arch rivals Barcelona have made full use of the opportunity and according to various reports the two clubs had productive talks over the transfer of the Uruguayan international and the deal might be concluded soon.
Luis Suarez was involved in a transfer saga last summer when Arsenal reportedly triggered a clause in his contract. Whereas the 27 year old was eager to make the move Liverpool blocked it. Since then the Uruguayan has claimed being happy at the club but according to Liverpool's ex-director of football Damien Comolli, Suarez has always been very tempted to make a move to Spain.
Below is an audio excerpt of Comolli's revelation to talkSPORT:
Signing Suarez will be a big signal of intent from a Barcelona side which failed to land any title last season. Incoming manager Luis Enrique is looking to make wholesale changes to the side, with a number of first team players on the exit list.
Suarez is definitely the kind of player who can help Barcelona achieve bigger things and will definitely strengthen their attack. Furthermore the Uruguayan is a prolific goal scorer and his addition will relieve pressure on Lionel Messi.
Despite missing out on a couple of games at the beginning of the season after he was handed a ten match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanović, Suarez seamlessly adjusted in the side upon his return and went on a goal scoring rampage from then onwards. Adding to his Barclays Premier League awards, he was termed as the 2013/2014 player of the season by whoscored.com after an incredible season which saw him scoring 31 goals in just 33 Premier League appearances.
BREAKDOWN: Luis Suarez's goals last season
However should Suarez fail to add spark, he will not be Barcelona’s first big money signing unable to live up to the billing. The Blaugrana have signed a number of world class players in the recent past who despite boasting strong credentials were unable to make their mark at the club.
PSG star Zlatan Ibrahimović is one such example. The Swedish international was at the pinnacle of his career when he made a big money move to Camp Nou. Much was expected from the former Inter Milan man who was expected to not just add a new dimension to Barcelona’s game but also take them to new heights.
Unfortunately for the club and for Zlatan, the player could never settle at the Camp Nou and several disputes with then Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola meant that Ibra was sold just two years later to AC Milan for almost one third of the price.
Former Arsenal stars Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas were dealt with a similar fate. The former established a legendary status at Arsenal and was held in such high regards at the club that he was rewarded with a statue outside the stadium. The 36 year old who currently plies his trade at New York Red Bulls guided Arsenal to two league titles as well as three FA Cups scoring 228 goals in the process.
However Thierry’s three year stint at Barcelona was hardly illustrious. After a disappointing first season in which he managed just 19 goals in 47 appearances, Henry’s second season at the club was more productive. However he failed to have much of an impact in his third and final season and was later sold to New York Red Bulls thus bringing an end to a very disappointing spell.
A more recent example is that of Chile star Alexis Sanchez. The 25 year old was signed for close to 30 million pounds from Italian club Udinese and was considered as one of the brightest talents in the world of football.
However, like every other star player the Chilean never managed to settle at the club, despite never failing to impress for his national side. The 25 year old is now being pushed out of the club and might be part of the deal to bring Suarez to Barcelona.
Luis Suarez’s performances in the past few seasons definitely warrant a move to a bigger club but it remains to be seen whether Barcelona will prove to be the right club for him. Suarez is at the zenith of his career just like Theirry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović were when they made their moves to Camp Nou. Whereas the Liverpool star will find it easy to break in the starting eleven of almost any side in the world, he may have to change his playing style to cope with talisman Lionel Messi if he is to cement his place in Luis Enrique’s eleven and succeed at the club.
