Luis Suárez continues to be one of the best strikers of his generation, the Uruguayan goal scorer is coming off of a disappointing season with Atlético Madrid, but he can still mix it up with the best of them. Suárez has one thing on his mind, to get to the FIFA World Cup in excellent form, it will be the Uruguayan all-time leading scorer’s fourth World Cup and more than likely his last.
Enter River Plate, the Argentine champion is making a big push for the Copa Libertadores and hope to give coach Marcelo Gallardo a sort of sendoff with that cup, Gallardo is rumored to be leaving after being in charge of the club since 2014 and winning an astonishing 14 titles at the helm. River Plate has former MLS players Tomás Pochettino, Esequiel Barco, and Leandro González Pírez in the squad and are sixth at the start of the Argentine league season.
Now reports from South America are a bit contradictory as prestigious Argentine journalists Christian Martin and Bruno Vain have all but confirmed the deal, while Rodrigo Romano has stated that it is just one of many offers Luis Suárez has on the table.
What we know of Luis Suárez’s transfer saga with River Plate
From what has been reported from ESPN in Argentina, Gallardo and River Plate’s sporting manager former Uruguayan national team star Enzo Francescoli approached Luis Suárez at the Champions League final in Paris to which the striker said he would be interested in the move, especially considering he wants to be a big-time player for his next club in hopes of being 100% ready for the World Cup in Qatar.
Luis Suarez of Uruguay celebrates after scoring the fourth goal of his team during a match between Uruguay and Venezuela (Photo by Mariana Greif – Pool/Getty Images)
In order for Suárez to sign with River, the striker would need to continue his knee rehab in Spain and River Plate would have to win their Copa Libertadores round of 16 series against fellow Argentine side Vélez Sarsfield. Suárez likes the prospect of possibly winning the Copa Libertadores and getting minutes under a demanding coach like Marcelo Gallardo.
The other condition for Suárez’s is what kind of offer he gets from Europe. Suárez’s family reside in Spain, and they have many business ventures, and it is rumored that Barcelona may try to sign Suárez in case their negotiations with Robert Lewandowski fall through according to TyC Sports.
While the Barcelona offer seems like a long shot, Ajax who were interested in bringing back Suárez have backed off from a possible return. Information regarding Suárez’s contract length is not known so far but sources in Uruguay have confirmed it would be a short-term deal in Argentina, ranging from six months to one season.
What is important to note is that various serious journalists in both Argentina and Uruguay have reported that the offer is real, and that Suárez likes the idea of playing at River Plate, but he has asked for time to rehab and think his decision through. Suárez is said to have offers from clubs in Brazil, Liga MX, and Turkey.
