The FC Barcelona striker is still the main protagonist of the LaLiga transfer market. With just a few days to go before Flick has to decide his first eleven of the season, the Barça does not have a pure 9. Julián Álvarez continues to wait with a closed Atlético de Madrid and, amidst the battle of negotiations and the rush, another striker has impressed in the neighboring country and co-organizer of the 2030 World Cup. Luis Suárez has little to do with the Uruguayan who made history alongside Messi and Neymar. Colombian, 28 years old and top scorer of the Portuguese league. With 97 goals under his belt, the transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, has placed him as the substitute in the Barça agenda if Julián does not come to good port. However, from Can Barça, they have not yet said the last word about the Argentine striker. And everything will depend on the exit operations of Ferran Torres and Marc Casadó and the arrival of Rodri Hernández.
What makes Luis Suárez a good substitute?
Luis Suárez is a well-known figure in LaLiga. He arrived in Europe as a young man after being picked up by Watford and passed through various teams before consolidating himself. Granada, Valladolid B, Nàstic de Tarragona, Zaragoza and, subsequently, Granada and Almería in First Division. His last course in Spain was particularly striking. With Almería, he scored 28 goals, a figure that caught the attention of Sporting, which bet on him to occupy the gap left by Viktor Gyökeres. And in Lisbon, he was even more impressive. In his first season, he scored 38 goals and provided eight assists.
What is the price of Luis Suárez?
The big difference with respect to Julián Álvarez is the contractual situation. The Argentine has a 500 million euro buyout clause and a contract with Atlético until 2030. The red-and-white club has made it clear that they do not want to sell him, although FC Barcelona is still studying the formula to reach the 150 million euros that could convince the colchoneros. Luis Suárez, on the other hand, has a 80 million euro buyout clause and also a contract until 2030. The Portuguese club considers that amount the sale price and does not intend to negotiate anything below it. That is, 80 million euros are still a significant amount for the Barça and there is another detail: Almería retains 10% of the profit from a future sale.
What's next?
Julián Álvarez is already training with his teammates in Mahadahonda and, although he would not have entered the call-up for the last friendly of the preseason (something normal for a player who has only trained four days; neither Marcos Llorente nor Álex Baena are going), the Cholo has told him that he counts on him. The FC Barcelona striker is still the main protagonist of the LaLiga transfer market, and Luis Suárez, top scorer of the Portuguese league, has become a plan B if Julián Álvarez does not come to good port. The FC Barcelona continues to search for a striker to strengthen their attack, and Luis Suárez has become a plan B if Julián Álvarez fails to materialize.
League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 1st in La Liga, 79 pts, 26W-1D-4L from 31 games, recent form WWWWW. Goals this season: 84 scored, 30 conceded (+54 goal difference). Lead at the top: 9 points clear of Real Madrid. Next fixture: vs Valencia (at home, 2027-01-31) (14th in the table).
