🌡 Hot Take: Luis Suárez can lead Atlético Madrid to the LaLiga title | OneFootball

Luis Suárez is now an Atlético Madrid player, ending his six-year stay at Barcelona which resulted in nearly 200 goals, four league titles and one Champions League.

We’ve all seen the memes. The world cannot wait for the shithousery the link-up of Suárez, Diego Costa and Diego Simeone will bring.

The trio would not only steal the candy from the baby, but they’d buy more, make the baby believe that they were receiving the candy and then steal it again at the last minute.

There does seem something almost perfect about the Uruguayan turning up to play for this Atlético side and this Atlético manager. But will the move result in success?

It has, unfortunately, become clear to everybody that time has caught up with Suárez and, at 33, his legs aren’t doing what they used to be able to do.

The 2020 version of Suárez is a long way from the Liverpool version, and a faint replica of the pivotal part of Barcelona’s ‘MSN’.

However, this might not matter too much when it comes to how Simeone plans to use him. Suárez is still adept at using his body, still capable of running the channels, and could run seminars on winning fouls to get up the pitch.

If Atleti’s head coach could create the perfect striker for his system, he would probably create something very similar to Luis Suárez.

A forward who will revel in putting his back into defenders, hounding them when on the ball, and with a love for being a general nuisance will do just fine for Simeone and Atlético.

We hate to break it to the internet but it’s unlikely we’ll see the ‘terrible twosome’ of Costa and Suárez partnered together all too often, especially with João Félix looking like he is absout to explode.

The Portuguese youngster’s impressive performance in the Champions League quarter-final defeat to RB Leipzig was followed by solid showings for Portugal in the Nations League.

Suárez has been the perfect foil for the likes of Edinson Cavani, Daniel Sturridge and Lionel Messi in the past. Now it’s time for a role reversal, with Atleti’s €126m 20-year-old doing the legwork for the 33-year-old Uruguayan.

Atlético shocked Europe by winning the LaLiga title in 2013/14, an achievement they’d failed to repeat since. This season could be the one where they are crowned the kings of Spain for the 11th time.

Barcelona’s state of turmoil is clear to everybody, it will take more than getting a few high-earners off the books to sort out the institutional and structural mess that has presided at the Camp Nou.

That’s without mentioning the doubts that linger over Ronald Koeman’s managerial abilities or the lack of clarity surrounding Lionel Messi’s future.

Atleti’s city neighbours, Real Madrid, will start the campaign as clear favourites to retain the league title but they’ve also had a strange summer.

Florentino Perez stated there “would be no big signings this summer” with Real seeking to limit the financial damage inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

There have been 16 departures from the Santiago Bernabéu to date, with Dermot Corrigan suggesting in The Athletic that the club were looking to make up for a €200m loss in revenue.

A wise and sensible move, yes, but it has resulted in a lack of squad depth, a point made clear by Zinedine Zidane turning to Marvin Park (20) and Sergio Arribas Calvo (18) as his substitutes in the 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad last weekend.

That’s not to downplay the quality Zidane has at his disposal and the mentality within that squad but Real are in a funny, transitional place.

The door is open for Atlético, but can they take advantage? They’ve have managed to keep hold of the likes of Koke, Saul Niguez and Angel Correa, while Suárez’s addition is the type that can have a massive boost on a squad.

David Villa left Barcelona to inspire Atleti to a title once, now the Uruguayan has the chance to do the same.

Don’t rule out Suárez’s motivation to stick it to Koeman, either. Hell hath no fury like the Uruguayan scorned.

Whatever is about to transcend over the next seven months at the Wanda Metropolitano, we have a feeling it’s certainly not going to be boring.