Barcelona Dismiss Transfer Rumours Linking Luis Suarez to Man United

With Jose Mourinho’s side languishing in the middle of the table, the Portuguese has a slim chance of prising Luis Suarez to Man United.

(Image credit: Varzesh11)

Manchester United are reportedly ready to table a £135 million bid for Barcelona’s hitman Luis Suarez next summer, according to The Sun. Jose Mourinho’s forwards have underperformed as of lately, and it’s believed that Suarez – who will turn 30 years of age in January – fits the bill to become the focal goalscoring threat in Man United’s attack.

The Uruguay international has previously enjoyed a great spell in England during his three-and-a-half years with Man United’s fierce rivals Liverpool, which saw him score a whopping 69 goals in 110 Premier League appearances. The proposed Luis Suarez to Man United transfer would cause an upheaval within the Liverpool supporters, considering he’s always professed his admiration for the club, even after leaving for the Catalan capital.

“I’d prefer to stay here (Barcelona) for many more years. I know it doesn’t always turn out that way. But if I had to return to the Premier League, I would only go to Liverpool,” the 29-year-old striker said last February.

Suarez’s contract at the Nou Camp runs until the summer of 2019 – by which time he’ll be 32 – but the club are keen to tie him down to an extension that will see him stay for an additional two years beyond that. Blaugrana president Josep Maria Bartomeu has dismissed the Luis Suarez to Man United move, insisting that he ‘is happy at Barcelona’ and that talks are currently ongoing about the striker’s contract renewal.

“We read, we listen, we see this news, but of course, our interest in this particular case is that Luis Suarez is happy at Barcelona,” stressed the 53-year-old president. “For me, he is probably the best striker in Europe and we want him to be with us.”

“Right now we are trying to extend his contract with Barcelona, and he is one of our big future efforts because he is still young, he has a vision and a lot of ambition. He is happy at Barcelona and, together with Lionel Messi and Neymar, they are really very dangerous.”

If the Catalans were to sell Luis Suarez to Man United, next summer would be the ideal time to cash in on him while his transfer value is still high – it currently stands at £76 million, according to Transfermarkt. There seems to be no stopping him at the moment, however not even the most experienced football experts can predict how his form will be react to his age.

Suarez had a great time in England between 2011 and 2014, scoring 82 goals in 133 appearances overall for Liverpool. (Image credit: Empire of the Kop)

The Uruguayan made the switch from Anfield to the Nou Camp in the summer of 2014 for a fee of £65 million (€80 million+), but didn’t play for the Blaugrana until his suspension for biting Chiellini at the World Cup was over. He made his first Barcelona competitive debut in El Clasico on October 25 at the Bernabeu, in a match that ended with a 3-1 loss for the Catalans.

Despite missing out on the first four months of the 2014/15 season, he still managed to find the back of the net on 25 occasions across all competitions (16 in La Liga). Along with Lionel Messi and Neymar, Suarez formed part of the lethal trident known as ‘MSN’ that scored an incredible 122 goals overall during that campaign, as Barcelona went on to clinch the Treble – they became the only European side to win the Treble twice, after first achieving the feat in the 2008/09 season.

In his first full season at the Nou Camp (2015/16), Suarez usurped his teammate Messi by becoming the main attacking threat with 59 goal across all competitions (40 in La Liga), as the Argentine finished the season with ‘only’ 41 goals overall (26 in La Liga).

To date, the former Liverpool man has bagged 94 goals in only 111 matches for Barcelona, and has helped them win back-to-back Spanish league and cup titles, the Champions League, as well as Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League last season in the quarter-finals at the hands of domestic rivals and eventual runner-ups in the competition Atletico Madrid. However, Bet365 Sports ranks them as one of the two top favourites – along with Bayern Munich – to win the tournament this year with odds of 4.33 (10/3). Defending champions Real Madrid have been dealt underdog chances 7.00 (6/1), despite winning the competition last season for a record 11th time.

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With the prospect of adding another European title to his trophy cabinet, it wouldn’t really make sense for Suarez to agree a move to Old Trafford – a side that are not even competing in the Champions League this season, and it’s also a question whether they’ll qualify for it next season.

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