As the days go by, it appears more and more unlikely that Barcelona will able to sign Julian Alvarez this summer.
Although the Argentine forward is desperate to join the Catalans, Atletico Madrid have no intention to sell and hold a lot of leverage over the player’s future.
With time running out, Barcelona must soon find an alternative, especially with Ferran Torres also joining Paris Saint-Germain.
Recently, Colombian forward Luis Suarez has emerged as a potential option for Barcelona, with the club set to be interested in the services of the Sporting CP star.
A costly option
Now, Alex Pintanel has offered some useful update on Barcelona’s pursuit of Suarez, adding that the player is a real option being considered by the club.
Does Luis Suarez have what it takes to thrive at Barcelona? (Photo by Verity Griffin/Getty Images)
Although Suarez is not a priority target for Barcelona at the moment, the club could consider a move for the Colombian if they fail to secure the services of Alvarez.
However, Pintanel adds that the Catalans will have to pay as much as €80 million in order to sign 28-year-old forward.
That is the value of Diaz’s release clause at Sporting CP, with the Portuguese outfit having no intention to let their star player leave on a cut-price deal.
Suarez, for his part, is aware of Barcelona’s interest and the club have already witnessed the forward in action a few times.
Is Suarez worth the outlay?
Luis Suarez was recently involved in the World Cup. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Suarez is, no doubt, an interesting alternative to Julian Alvarez. He could be a more stable and less risky option compared to Victor Osimhen or Dusan Vlahovic.
The Colombian international also has a solid track record of scoring 38 goals in 54 matches for Sporting. He has experience in Spain as well, having previously played for clubs like Granada and Almeria.
That being said, a fee of €80 million sounds too steep for a player who has a tendency to miss clear cut chances and is far less technically gifted than someone like Alvarez.
Not to mention, his track record in La Liga is not ideal, having scored just 23 goals in over 100 matches. Although he has improved a lot since, Barcelona can get their hands on much better alternatives for an outlay of €80 million.