Why Watford should retain Luis Suarez amid Marseille links
According to Twitter claims from reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano, Watford striker Luis Suarez has emerged as a target for French club Marseille after impressing on loan at Real Zaragoza in the Spanish second-tier last season.
However, the reputed insider has confirmed that a deal hasn’t been agreed just yet and Watford intend to keep the highly-rated 22-year-old on their books.
Profile
Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Luis Suarez started his professional career with Leones in his homeland before joining Granada B on loan in the Spanish third-tier. The youngster’s federative rights were assigned to Watford back in the summer of 2017 and Suarez was subsequently loaned out to Real Valladolid B in the third-tier for a season.
Having bagged 11 league goals during the 2017-18 campaign, the Colombian starlet was loaned out to Gimnastic in the Segunda Division, the second tier in Spain. Suarez scored 7 times in 36 outings in 2018-19 and followed it up with a 19-goal haul in 38 appearances for Real Zaragoza last season to propel the club to the promotion Playoffs.
Suarez deserves a shot at the Championship
It has been a summer of transition so far for Watford, who have already roped in several fresh faces to rebuild their squad after suffering relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season.
The Hornets have already parted ways with some of their high-profile assets. Watford have already bolstered their attack with a loan deal for veteran striker Glenn Murray from Brighton while Stipe Perica has also arrived from Udinese.
However, the attacking department at Vicarage Road is expected to undergo some radical changes in the coming weeks. The futures of Troy Deeney and Andre Gray remain up in the air amid interest from Tottenham and West Brom respectively. Gerard Deulofeu has attracted interest from Napoli while Ismaila Sarr remains a top target for Liverpool.
Neither of the aforementioned players featured in Vladimir Ivic’s matchday squads for clashes against Middlesbrough in the Championship and Oxford United in the EFL Cup. That comes as a clear indication that they aren’t in the manager’s plans before their futures are sorted out.
To that end, Watford currently have 18-year-old Joao Pedro competing with Murray and Perica for a spot in front of goal. Pedro doesn’t have a lot of senior experience under his belt, while Perica has only just come in and Murray is too old at 36 to start every week in the Championship.
Hence, it goes without saying that Watford need at least another out-and-out striker to ensure adequate depth in their attack. Offering Luis Suarez a chance to impress would definitely be a smart idea.
The Colombian is yet to make a senior appearance for Watford but he definitely deserves a crack of the whip in the EFL Championship after proving his worth in the Spanish second tier.
Suarez boasts an impressive career tally of 25 goals and 8 assists in 74 appearances for Zaragoza and Gimnastic in the Segunda Division, which should be enough to convince Ivic to consider him as a part of his plans in the English second-tier.
Verdict
It’s true that cashing in on Luis Suarez would hand a considerable boost to Watford’s transfer kitty as they look to rebuild their squad further.
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However, given that they currently find themselves short of adequate cover in front of goal, it wouldn’t make any sense for the Hornets to bring in a new striker by sacrificing a talented starlet like Suarez.
The 22-year-old has already shown strong signs of promise and Watford should try to make the best use of his potential. Having said that, they should politely decline a permanent move away for the Colombian striker.
