The Sunday Mail
Aston Villa are not intending to pull off a sensational January transfer for Luis Suarez.
That is despite recent reports in Spain claiming the Uruguayan forward is “focused” on reuniting with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, who occupies the Villa dugout.
Suarez, 34, has turned down offers from Brazilian trio Palmeiras, Corinthians and Atletico Mineiro as he favours a return to the Premier League to play under Gerrard.
The Anfield icon is also believed to have rejected an approach from Saudi Arabia with less than six months remaining on his contract at Atletico Madrid.
However, sources have told Mirror Football that Villa won’t be to make a move to reunite Suarez with Gerrard this month.
That’s not to say Villa won’t look to land Suarez in the summer when he’ll be a free agent as his Atletico Madrid contract ends.
But Gerrard, 41, already has a wealth of attacking options with strikers Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins supported by the likes of Emiliano Buendia and – as of last week, and at least until the end of the season – Philippe Coutinho.
Gerrard clearly has no reservations about managing those he used to play alongside, so he may feel the chance to join forces with Suarez ahead of next season is too good to pass up.
The former England captain labelled the mercurial frontman “probably the best I have played with” while speaking in 2015.
Suarez won four La Liga titles and the Champions League during a goal-laden stint at Barcelona before joining Atletico on a free transfer in 2020.
He then fired Diego Simeone’s side to the domestic title with 21 goals last season, but he has not been quite so prolific this term.
Suarez has not scored in his last seven league appearances, yet Simeone insists he remains a hugely important player in his squad.
“We have spoken with Luis for two months about what I think of him, of how important he is for us and the situations that we create for him and without him on the pitch,” Simeone said on Tuesday.
“What I think of him, he knows it and I didn’t speak to him after Sevilla, I have spoken to him for two months.” – Mirror
