"I wanted to stay at Barcelona and would have lowered my salary" - Luis Suarez makes honest admission on circumstances surrounding Atletico Madrid transfer
Luis Suarez left Barcelona for Atletico Madrid in a controversial transfer ahead of the 2020-21 campaign. The Uruguayan has reflected on the move, revealing that he was willing to continue at Camp Nou and didn't mind taking a pay cut to help the club.
He explained:
"I can tell you that I would have liked to stay in Barcelona to help, and I would have lowered my salary if they had asked."
Luis Suarez: "I can tell you that I would have liked to stay in Barcelona to help, and I would have lowered my salary if they had asked."
Barcelona are reportedly considering firing Ronald Koeman over the club's recent run of poor results. Luis Suarez's former teammate Xavi Hernandez is among potential candidates to take over from the Dutchman.
According to Suarez, Xavi would need to count on an experienced striker if he is given the nod to coach the Catalan giants. He opined:
"If Xavi comes to Barcelona, then he’ll need an experienced striker (laughs)... We cannot put pressure on Ansu Fati at 19 years old."
Ronald Koeman recently compared Luuk de Jong to Neymar, claiming the Netherlands forward is more dangerous than his Brazilian counterpart based on aerial strength.
Luis Suarez scores his first ever goal against Barcelona! 💥
He has now scored against all 31 LaLiga teams he's faced in his career 🙌 https://t.co/q9i0kzY0vx
When asked about the Dutchman's comparison of the two forwards, Luis Suarez aimed a dig at the Barcelona manager. He mockingly said:
"As Koeman says, he’s [Luuk de Jong] better than Neymar."
Luis Suarez proving Barcelona wrong
Last year, Luis Suarez was shown the exit door by Barcelona over claims that he was too old to perform at the top level. The striker joined Atletico Madrid in a deal worth €6 million ahead of the 2020-21 campaign. He went on to prove the Blaugrana wrong with decent displays for Los Rojiblancos.
Luis Suarez inspired Atletico Madrid to win the La Liga title last season, contributing 21 goals and three assists in 31 appearances. He's bagged five goals for the club in 10 appearances this season, with four coming in La Liga and one in the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have had a tough time playing without a proper striker since the campaign kicked off. The Catalan giants signed Sergio Aguero on a free transfer from Manchester City over the summer. However, the Argentine has been sidelined for the past few weeks due to a knee injury.