Luis Suarez has been quizzed on Julian Alvarez’s chances of leaving Atletico Madrid for Barcelona this summer in a blockbuster transfer.
Alvarez has admitted he wants to move on, with Barca eager to bring him in, but Atletico do not want to sell and are furious at the current situation.
Suarez says he faced a similar situation during his career before he moved to Barcelona.
“These are situations you force at a certain point. I experienced it at Liverpool. In 2013, I forced my way out because I wanted
to go to Arsenal. I argued with the club because we weren’t qualifying for the Champions League, and I felt I needed to take the next step,” he told Mundo Deportivo.
“I remember the captain, Gerrard, grabbing me and saying, “Stay. Next year you can go wherever you want: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern… But this year, please, stay. You can’t go to Arsenal.” And he convinced me.
“And in this case, the same thing could happen with Julián: Cholo could grab him and say, “This year I want you to stay with us.” I was convinced by a Liverpool legend, the captain. I came to my senses, then I went out and apologized, and it ended up being my best season at the club. Even if you forced your way out, if people then go onto the pitch and see you give your all, work hard, and defend the club, they end up applauding you.”
We will have to wait and see if Barca can secure Alvarez in the coming weeks, although Suarez is in no doubt that he would be a good fit for the Catalans.
“Yes, obviously. A player as intelligent as Julián, with the trajectory he’s had since leaving River, through City, Atlético, and also with the national team, would arrive and adapt because he knows how to fulfill his role,” he added.
“He’s a very hard-working player. At Barcelona, he’ll have wingers who will create many chances for him. He has good ball control and good movement. He’ll fit in immediately at Barcelona. But there’s the other side. He’s at a big club like Atlético. It’s going to be difficult to leave. These next few weeks are going to be a good story.”
After seeing Alvarez ask Atletico for a transfer, Barcelona are expected to submit another bid for the Argentina international of around €120 million.
