Luis Suarez left in limbo as Juventus confirm Barcelona outcast is no longer a transfer target due to passport issues
LUIS SUAREZ’S future is up in the air after Juventus confirmed they would NOT be signing him this summer. The former Liverpool star, 33, has been told he is not in Barcelona‘s plans this season under new boss Ronald Koeman and will be sold. Juventus quickly became his most-likely new home in a £13.5million deal […]
LUIS SUAREZ’S future is up in the air after Juventus confirmed they would NOT be signing him this summer.
The former Liverpool star, 33, has been told he is not in Barcelona‘s plans this season under new boss Ronald Koeman and will be sold.
Juventus quickly became his most-likely new home in a £13.5million deal to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo.
But the Serie A champions have pulled the plug on any potential deal due to passport issues, despite Suarez passing the required Italian test last week.
Juventus director Fabio Paratici revealed the club had removed Suarez from their wishlist and would look elsewhere, with Roma star Edin Dzeko thought to be close to a deal.
Paratici told Sky Sport: “Suarez can be removed from that list, because the time it takes to get the passport is longer than the transfer deadline or the moment we can hand in the Champions League lists.
“We evaluated the Suarez option when it was proposed to us.
“He was in the process of getting Italian citizenship, so we evaluated the possibility of registering him in time.
“It is not possible, so he was never really close.”
On Dzeko’s proposed move, Paratici added: “Let’s say there isn’t a Dzeko situation, it’s a striker situation, as Juventus need a centre-forward.
Most read in Football
“Right now we are only thinking of one striker, not two.
“We know what we want and are working towards that calmly, there are 15 days to go in the transfer window and we’re in no rush.
“There are other options, not just Dzeko.”
Barcelona have revealed they are so keen to offload Suarez wages they will pay to get him off the books.
The LaLiga giants will pay the difference in his wages for the 2020-21 season should any potential new club offer less than his current £400,000-a-week wages.
Atletico Madrid have joined Ajax – Suarez’s former club – in the race to sign him.
However, Los Rojiblancos will be forced to sell players before they can reinvest in the squad.
Reports are claiming Atletico will sell Morata – who they only signed permanently this summer – with Juventus interested.
Juve are thought to have offered £9m for a season-long loan with a £42m option to buy at the end of the season.