Barcelona legend Luis Suarez is inches away from joining Italian champions Juventus, at least according to the major media outlets in Spain and Italy. The Uruguayan striker is working on an early termination for his Barca contract, paving the way for a new exciting partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo.
So what are the reasons behind this unexpected summer twist? And what will Suarez add to the star-packed attack of Juventus? And finally, how will the former Liverpool star coexist with Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala in Andrea Pirlo’s tactical schemes?
The Big Arrival
After Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 and Matthijs De Ligt in 2019, it has become almost customary for Juventus fans to welcome an international superstar during the summer transfer session.
The captures of Parma’s Dejan Kulusevski and Barcelona’s Arthur were met with mild approval by the black and white tifosi who are desperately seeking their first continental triumph in 25 years and were not too enthusiastic about the arrival of two young players who are yet to truly prove themselves at the highest level.
It was no secret that the Italian champions were in the hunt for a top-class striker this summer. After Maurizio Sarri’s departure and Andrea Pirlo’s arrival, the club had shifted its attention from Napoli hitman Arkadiusz Milik to Roma captain Eden Dzeko.
But with the Polish’s unfortunate injury record and unstable form, and the Bosnian entering the twilight of his career, neither player was perceived as a marquee signing for one of the most ambitious clubs in the world.
Thankfully for the Bianconeri, a storm from the West was about to blow a precious gift all the way to Turin.
Ronald Koeman began his revolution at Barca by axing Luis Suarez from his plans for next season, and the Catalan club is even willing to mutually rescind his contract that was set to expire next summer, granting the Uruguayan star the freedom to sign with any club of his choosing.
With Suarez available as a free agent, we all know the drill by now – Juventus were again the fastest to react to the news, securing the signing of yet another top-class superstar on a Bosman deal, and giving their crowds a reason to be truly enchanted.
A True Number 9
Despite the presence of the likes of Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, and Douglas Costa, the vacant number 9 jersey symbolized the lack of a true center-forward at Juventus last season.
With Mario Mandzukic and Moise Kean both getting ditched by Sarri’s regime, the returning version of Gonzalo Higuain was far from the one that terrorized Serie A defenses between 2013 and 2018, as the former Real Madrid striker only scored 8 league goals in 32 appearances.
With the Argentine set to reunite with Blaise Matuidi at MLS club Inter Miami, Luis Suarez will also embark on a new journey that could see him rule over the Italian peninsula, as he did before in the Netherlands, England, and Spain.
As a young up-and-coming player at Ajax, Luisito was mostly deployed as an outside striker. Not afraid to take on his marker, he would use his speed, skills, and south-American grit to make runs towards the box, creating scoring opportunities for his attacking partner Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, or just finishing the move himself. It soon became evident that Luis Suarez would be moving towards bigger destinations.
On January 31, 2011, and after selling Fernando Torres to Chelsea, Liverpool splashed their newfound cash on two young strikers, Andy Caroll and Luis Suarez.
Despite the big Englishman being labeled as the natural heir for Torres, the former Newcastle player turned out to be another expensive flop at Anfield. But luckily for “the Kop,“ the former Ajax man’s exploits eased some of their woes, as little by little, the Uruguayan cemented himself as the ultimate star for the Reds.
Despite wearing the number 7 jersey, Suarez soon became the club’s main center-forward, and then had his own supporting crew in the attack, forming a great understanding with the likes of Daniel Sturridge and teenager Raheem Sterling.
Although this exciting group of young forwards almost led Liverpool into EPL glory in 2014 – if it wasn’t for a certain infamous slip – Suarez had arguably the best season of his career, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 31 goals, and earning an enormous move to Catalunya.
At Barcelona, Suarez fitted in-between fellow mega-stars Leo Messi and Neymar, adding some grit and hunger for an incredibly gifted attacking trio that became known as the MSN.
After dominating all oppositions during their first season together, Messi, Neymar, and Suarez led Barca into another legendary treble, cementing the trio’s position in history books.
But the profile of Luis Suarez can’t be completed without mentioning his more sinister side. While some controversial incidents are better left untold, his world cup antics will forever be remembered even by the casual fan.
Although nothing can surpass Zidane’s headbutt in 2006, Suarez was arguably the main villain in the two following versions of the competition. In 2010, he broke the heart of the whole African continent with his shameless goal-line handball save against Ghana. Four years later, he committed his 3rd career biting offense, with Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder being on the receiving end.
And yet, Uruguay ended up winning both of the matches mentioned above, in large part thanks to these villainous acts.
So while Football’s “bad boys” usually end up being burdens for their clubs and countries, the notorious Suarez has proven that he’s willing to take his teeth out – literally or figuratively – all for the benefit of his own team.
Suarez In The New Golden Trio of Juventus
New Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo is reportedly still undecided on his tactical set-up for next season, bouncing between the club’s current four-man defensive line and a return to Antonio Conte’s three-man at the back.
But one thing is for sure, the young Italian tactician has his attack lined up for him.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo is still arguably the sport’s biggest personality and managed to score more than 30 league goals last season, while the younger Dybala claimed the reward for the best player in Serie A.
So it’s pretty safe to say that neither man will spend too much time on the bench next season, nor did Juventus acquire Suarez to be another squad player. These three superstars MUST be given the chance to play and shine together.
If Pirlo decides to adopt Sarri’s 4-3-3, Suarez will then play between the Portuguese and the Argentine, but instead of acting like traditional wingers, Ronaldo will at times creep from the left into the box acting as an additional center-forward, while Dybala will drop a little deeper to help the midfielders in the buildup, basically turning into a 4-3-1-2 formation.
Another tactical solution that presents itself for the new boss is the 3-4-3 formation, as the team can rely on its fantastic mix of young and old center-backs, while also giving the young Dejan Kulusevski a chance to earn a starting spot as a wing-back, even though this isn’t the preferred position of the talented Swede.
What was said about the interchanging positions of the attacking trio above is also applicable in this setup, especially with the presence of only two central-midfielders.
Conclusion
Despite his age rendering him a little less mobile these days, El Pistolero lost none of his grit, hunger, and above all his finishing touch. And after finding possibly their most crucial missing piece, Juventus will be hoping that Suarez can help the club in reaching its ultimate glory.