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Luis Suarez’s hopes of leaving Barcelona for Juventus have taken a huge blow with coach Andrea Pirlo admitting a deal for the Uruguay international “is difficult.”
The 33-year-old had been expected to move to the Turin giants after been told by Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman he’s not in his plans for 2020-21. The striker even travelled to Perugia on Thursday for a language exam in order to gain Italian citizenship.
Pirlo was asked about Suarez in his pre-match press conference on Saturday ahead of Juventus’ Serie A clash with Sampdoria and admitted the striker’s passport issues make a deal difficult.
“We’re all waiting for a centre forward. There is still a long way to go in the transfer window so we’re calm and happy, we’re not in a hurry,” he said.
“Suarez is difficult because it takes a long time to get the passport, so it’s unlikely that it could be him.”
Juventus want to sign a striker to replace Gonzalo Higuain who has signed for Inter Miami. According to Goal’s Romeo Agresti, the Italian champions will move for Roma’s Edin Dzeko instead of Suarez.
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What Next For Suarez?
Suarez’s future remains uncertain ahead of the season of the new La Liga season. The striker has not made the Barcelona squad for any of the club’s three pre-season friendlies but continues to train with the first-team.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Atletico Madrid remain keen on the Uruguay international. The club will try to land the striker but do need to sell players this summer.
There’s always the possibility Suarez could stay at Barcelona. He still has a year left on his contract and Koeman addressed the possibility after his team’s friendly win over Girona on Wednesday.
“Suárez and I spoke this morning about his future. We’re waiting to see if he stays or not. If he finally stays, he will be one more player in the squad.”
Yet Suarez may struggle for game time if he does continue. The club are willing to banish him to the stands for the rest of the season if he does not secure a move away, according to Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens at ESPN.
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