Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez is reportedly open to a reunion with Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa next season.
The Uruguayan international, 35, joined Atletico Madrid from Barcelona in 2020 and played an instrumental role in their La Liga triumph, scoring 21 times in 32 games in the process. However, his influence has waned in Diego Simeone’s side this season, with the striker struggling for game time of late.
According to the Daily Mail, Luis Suarez would consider returning to the Premier League after seven long years and joining Aston Villa, who were linked with the Atletico Madrid centre-forward during the January transfer window. But nothing transpired and he stayed put at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Suarez will leave Atletico Madrid at the end of the season, having not been offered a new contract yet that extends beyond this summer. The veteran striker had the chance to leave the Spanish champions during the mid-season trading period but three offers from Brazilian clubs were rejected due to his desire to stay in Europe for at least another season, the report adds.
Luis Suarez to Aston Villa—Should the Villans make a summer move?
Steven Gerrard’s time at Aston Villa has been a mixed bag so far. His signings, though, in Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne have worked out well, with the former shouldering most of the team’s creative burden.
The Villans are ninth in the table and remain in midst of a stiff fight with the likes of Southampton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Brighton for a top-half finish. With just 9 games left to be played, now would be the right time for Gerrard and the club to start discussing the summer’s potential targets.
Given Aston Villa have Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins in their ranks, a striker may not be an immediate priority for Gerrard heading into the transfer window. But if a top-quality striker with proven Premier League experience becomes available, the Villa manager must certainly look into the modalities of a possible deal.
Luis Suarez is expected to leave Atletico Madrid on a free transfer in June, and he could be the player to make a difference for Aston Villa next season. The Uruguayan may have struggled for game time and not scored as many goals as he would have liked to this season, but the fact that he has still kept himself in a good shape at 35 could help the Midlands club in the short term.
Deadly in the box, the ex-Liverpool man has shown throughout his career that he can score all kinds of goals, and his potential link-up with Coutinho—if Villa sign him permanently from Barcelona—could be exciting to watch for the fans. Also, Suarez’s rich pedigree and winning mentality could rub off on the Villa squad and help them take the next step under Gerrard.
Thus, Aston Villa signing Luis Suarez on a potential free transfer from Atletico Madrid would represent a shrewd piece of business.