The Nou Camp, home to the one of world’s biggest football institutions in the world, has hit a rough patch as of late. The summer started with Messi wanting to leave after a series of poor decisions by the club president Josip Bartomeu. One of his decisions saw Barcelona sell one of their then prized assets, Neymar to PSG in a world-record transfer. The money received, as a result, led to Reckless aspending in the transfer market. Such spending always comes with a major consequence. This could even mean letting go of one of your longest-serving players from the team. After the departures of Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, and Nelson Semedo to Sevilla, Inter Milan, and Wolves respectively, it’s time to say goodbye to the 2-time European golden shoe winner Luis Suarez, but why?
Why have Barcelona decided to let go of Luis Suárez?
Why Suárez?
When the Uruguayan was rumored to be one of the departures of the summer, it caught the internet and the fans by surprise as they couldn’t understand the departure of a man who had managed 147 La Liga goals in 197 league appearances for the Catalan club. The Uruguayan goal-machine also happened to be their only goal scorer in the club’s humiliating defeat against Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League. The answer to the question “Why Suarez?” is rather simple as it has to do with Barcelona’s last big-money signing Antoine Griezmann.
The heir to the throne-
Antoine Griezmann’s arrival was met with a few eyebrows as none of them were convinced that he would be able to start ahead of the Champions League-winning Suarez, although the former Liverpool man was already 32 at the time. The 120 million euro transfer was destined to fail as the Frenchman was played off-position the whole time. While the French World Cup winner still managed a decent 15 goals from playing in either flank last season, it is probable that he will score way more from his preferred Centre-forward role. The departure of Luis Suarez should clear up the way for Griezmann to play a talismanic role at the club.
A proper clear-out-
The managerial appointment of the Barcelona legend Ronald Koeman didn’t appease anyone, particularly the fans. Despite the huge uproar from the fans, it’s safe to say that Dutchman has planned a clear out. The recent departures of Nelson Semedo, Ivan Rakitic, and Arturo Vidal are a testament to that. This clearout should pave the way for younger players including potential signings, to thrive at the club. In short, Koeman’s need to look into the future could also be cited as a reason for why Barcelona have decided to let go their player of 6 years.
What’s next for Suarez and Barcelona?
If the reports are anything to go by, Luis Suarez is very close to moving to Atletico Madrid. After the initial buzz surrounding his move to the Italian champions, Juventus was met with an uneventful end, Diego Simeone’s side felt the need to move for the prolific 418 goal striker to resolve their goal scoring problems. The impending departure has been met with an outcry from the supporters, and this should further worsen the reputation of the already under fire president Josip Bartomeu. The advent of the new manager Ronald Koeman is not guaranteed to provide a clear roadmap for success, so it’s impossible to predict what the future holds for the 5-time champions league winning club.
The final say-
The sale of Luis Suarez is a major gamble, given his influence over the dressing room, and the obvious goal-scoring pedigree which made up for a hugely successful spell of 6 years. His dominating presence in front of the goal at the Nou Camp saw him pick him plenty of top scorer awards, including his second European golden shoe in 2016, which he won after finishing 14 goals ahead of his ever-prolific compatriot Lionel Messi. A gamble of this magnitude needs to be managed with special care and attention, and it goes to be seen as to whether if it’ll pay off or not.
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