Forward Terminates Contract With Barcelona To Seal Move To Atletico Madrid: Big Blow For Koeman? | OneFootball

Mundo Deportivo has recently stated that Luis Suarez has decided to terminate his contract with Barcelona to seal a move to Atletico Madrid this summer. It is understood that the Uruguayan forward will be offered a two-year deal at the Wanda Metropolitano after he decided to buy out the remainder of his contract at the Nou Camp (via Mundo Deportivo).

Suarez’s Incredible Goal-Scoring Numbers For Barca Last Season

On a personal front, Suarez enjoyed another productive season at Catalonia as he put in a series of goal-scoring performances as the focal point of the Barca attack. The South American sensation banged in 21 goals and grabbed 12 assists in 36 matches for the Spanish champions in the previous campaign across all fronts.

The 33-year-old did well to produce several eye-catching displays in Europe where he averaged 3.1 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game in the UEFA Champions League last season. However, Suarez was quite sloppy when interchanging possession with his teammates in the final third as evident from his pass success rate of 75.5% in league football (stats via whoscored).

The veteran centre-forward has lost a yard of pace from his game and is currently a player on the decline. Lionel Messi’s relationship with the club is at an all-time low while the long-term futures of Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele are quite uncertain at the moment. Hence, it is no surprise to see Suarez become so desperate to make a switch away from all the drama at the Nou Camp this summer even if it means giving up a year’s salary to make it happen.

What Are The Uruguayan Marksman’s Best Attributes?

Suarez lacks pace but can still make some intelligent runs in-behind the opposition backline. He remains an unforgiving finisher in the attacking third and has got a terrific goal-scoring record at Barca to show for his efforts. The 113-time Uruguayan international is also not shy of setting up his teammates when they are in space in and around the opponent’s penalty box which explains how picked up 12 assists for Barcelona last season.

Suarez Set To Join Atletico Madrid: Big Blow For The Catalans?

The fact that Suarez has decided to give up a year’s salary to get out of Barcelona will be quite alarming for anyone associated with the Catalan giants. Ronald Koeman needs to invest heavily in his squad but doesn’t have the luxury to do so this summer following the economic hit that the club had to endure due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Hence, the departure of Suarez will be a huge blow for Barca as they cannot afford to lose any of their first-team stars without bringing in a suitable replacement. The Uruguayan forward’s exit will leave a massive hole in Koeman’s attack which the likes of Messi, Griezmann and Dembele would have to fill when Barcelona kick off their La Liga campaign versus Villarreal later this month.