Reports: Luis Suarez set to stay at Barcelona this season
According to GIVEMESPORT, Luis Suarez has taken a complete U-turn with regards to his future at Barcelona. The Uruguayan was reportedly close to agreeing on a switch to Juventus this summer but has decided to stay at Camp Nou and see out the remainder of his current contract, which expires in the summer of 2021.
New Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman had reportedly told certain players from the squad that they do not have a role to play at the club next season. Luis Suarez, together with Samuel Umtiti, Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic, was rumoured to be a part of that group.
Ivan Rakitic has since left Barcelona to join Sevilla in a €1.5 million deal. Meanwhile, Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal have been linked with moves to Juventus and Inter Milan, respectively.
However, Luis Suarez has reportedly changed his mind and decided to stay in Barcelona. The 33-year-old has scored 198 goals in 283 appearances for the Blaugrana since his switch from Liverpool in the summer of 2014. He has had a trophy-laden stint at Barcelona, winning a Champions League and four La Liga titles with the club.
Luis Suarez follows Lionel Messi's footsteps and decides to see out his contract at Barcelona
Lionel Messi was linked with a move away from Barcelona all summer after the club endured a trophyless 2019-20 season. The Argentine was unhappy with the way the club was being run and with the transfer policies that were being implemented.
Messi has, however, decided to stay at Barcelona till his contract expires next season because his lawyers were unable to find a loophole in his €700 million release clause.
Luis Suarez was rumoured to have told Koeman that he does not mind a place on the bench if that's what it takes to keep him at Barcelona. The Catalan giants are, however, eager to take his massive salary off their wage bill and bring in some new, young blood into the club.
At 33, Luis Suarez is past his prime and does not have the same attacking instincts that he once did. A move away from Barcelona to Serie A, China or even the Premier League, where teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are still looking for attacking options, may be what the Uruguayan needs at this stage of his career.