Aston Villa could reportedly welcome another superstar to the Midlands.
One week after completing a deal to sign Philippe Coutinho, Aston Villa are linked to signing another Barcelona cast-off.
Coutinho joined Steven Gerrard’s outfit on a half-season loan from the Camp Nou club but Gerard Romero has reported that the former Liverpool midfielder could get back the band back together even more by bringing Luis Suarez.
And according to the journalist, Suarez, sold by Barcelona to Atletico for £5.5 million, is open to the transfer.
The Uruguay international fired Atleti to a Liga title last season but first-team opportunities are tougher to come by this time around.
So far, Suarez has only started two league outings under Diego Simeone since November.
And Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero has claimed that a transfer to Aston Villa does represent a genuine ‘option’ for the 34-year-old who, in his own words, is a ‘completely different player’ to the one who dominated the Premier League once upon a time.
He told Sky Sports: “It is a possibility because Luis Suarez does not have as important a role as he did last season when Atletico Madrid won La Liga. He has got other players, such as Antoine Griezmann ahead of him. Diego Simeone does not seem to have the same confidence in him as last season.
“So I can understand why Luis Suarez is trying to find a way out. In this case, we know Steven Gerrard is a friend of his after playing in Liverpool and could be an option.”
Too slick?
Gerrard doesn’t want to get overly clever here.
Yes, bringing Coutinho back to England is looking like a masterstroke after scoring once and setting up another on an inspirational Aston Villa debut.
However, Suarez is five years older than the Brazilian wizard and, as Montero pointed out, he just isn’t going to be the same footballer who Liverpool supporters idolised for three-and-a-half years.
It makes sense for the Gerrard connection, but on a football level, the Villa manager needs younger.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
