According to Marca (h/t Daily Star), Leicester City are interested in signing Barcelona star Luis Suarez to strengthen their attack next season.
The report suggests that new Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has excluded the Uruguayan from his plans for the upcoming campaign and Suarez is up for sale. Clubs like Juventus, Ajax and MLS sides are also keen on securing his services, as per the report.
Born in Uruguay, Suarez came through the ranks of Urreta FC in his homeland and joined Groningen for a year before moving to Ajax, where he came to prominence. After scoring over 100 goals in 159 appearances for the Dutch giants, he was signed by Liverpool January 2011. He excelled with the Reds and won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2013/14 season.
The following summer, he moved tom Barcelona and went on to establish himself as one of the most lethal strikers in Europe. He formed a strong partnership alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar and has won almost everything at the club level.
However, he seems to be far from his best at the moment and has become prone to injuries in the last one and a half seasons.
At the moment, Leicester have three centre-forwards in their ranks. Jamie Vardy has been the star of this team for the past few years and managed to win the Golden Boot award last season. He looks to be in good shape despite being 33.
Apart from the Englishman, they also have Kelechi Iheanacho, who despite getting limited opportunities, took his chances and performed well. However, Islam Slimani hasn’t lived up to the expectations in the Premier League and has just one more year left on his contract with the club.
It is clear that the Foxes need to bring in strikers in the summer. They need to replace the ageing Vardy and also a cover is necessary for Slimani, who seems to have no future at the club. However, making a move for Suarez wouldn’t be an ideal solution for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
The Catalan striker himself is going to be 34 in January and is beyond his prime. He wouldn’t be a long-term signing.
The former Liverpool man is surely one of the best strikers in Europe but the Foxes already have Vardy, who is equally good. They could do well with the available strikers and Ayoze Perez is also available if the manager needs him in the centre-forward role.
At 33, Suarez seems to be reaching the twilight of his career and is already prone to injuries. Signing him would limit the Foxes’ resources. Thus, they should avoid a move for the Uruguayan and instead look to strengthen other key areas.
