“I know he loves Stevie [Gerrard]" - Dirk Kuyt 'hopes' Luis Suarez will return to the Premier League

(L-to-R) Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez; (inset) Dirk Kuyt.

Liverpool legend Dirk Kuyt believes Luis Suarez could return to the Premier League due to his relationship with Steven Gerrard.

There have been multiple rumors in recent weeks linking Gerrard's Aston Villa with a potential move for Suarez. The Atletico Madrid forward is also reported to have ruled out moves from several other clubs in a bid to rejoin his former Liverpool team-mate.

🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Luis Suárez has turned down several offers to leave Atlético Madrid to focus on a return to the Premier League with Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa.

(Source: @gerardromero) https://t.co/UhuNc7862I

Kuyt believes Suarez's return to the Premier League may not take place, but is still hoping for it to happen. He told talkSPORT (via The Liverpool Echo):

“I hope [he will return], but I’m not sure to be honest, I’m not sure. I think Luis had the opportunity after Barcelona to come back to the Premier League and he decided to stay in Spain, somehow maybe with the language he feels more comfortable.”

The 41-year-old, however, didn't entirely rule out the move, stating:

“I know he loves Stevie [Gerrard] as well, so probably he wants to work with him.”

Interestingly, Gerrard brought in another former team-mate of his in Philippe Coutinho to Villa Park on loan from Barcelona earlier this month. Coutinho has gotten off to an excellent start under the Englishman, scoring on his debut to help Villa secure a 2-2 comeback draw against Manchester United.

While there are still no concrete developments on a potential move for Suarez, both Liverpool and Aston Villa fans will be excitedly following the story.

Luis Suarez was a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League

Luis Suarez joined Liverpool from AFC Ajax in the summer of 2011. The Uruguayan scored 11 times in 31 Premier League matches in his debut season for the Reds.

The following season saw Suarez substantially improve those numbers as he scored 23 goals in 33 league matches for the club. He also recorded 14 assists in the league and breached the 30-goal mark across all competitions.

Luis Suárez's 2013/14 PL season by numbers:

◉ 33 games
◉ 31 goals
◉ 12 assists

Mohamed Salah's 2017/18 PL season by numbers:

◉ 36 games
◉ 32 goals
◉ 10 assists

Only Thierry Henry (44) has been directly involved in more goals in a 38-game campaign. https://t.co/N4NrcNLUTL

Suarez was the driving force in Liverpool's incredible 2013-14 season in which they came devastatingly close to winning the Premier League. The 34-year-old won the European Golden Boot, scoring 31 times in 33 league encounters. However, he was helpless as the Reds slipped up towards the end of the season to lose out on the title.

Having signed a contract extension in December 2013, many expect Luis Suarez to stay on at Anfield for the foreseeable future. However, the Liverpool faithful were left with a sour taste as the striker departed for Barcelona in the summer of 2014.