Luis Suarez 'always had Barca dream'

ByDermot Corrigan ESPN logo
Thursday, June 26, 2014

Luis Suarez has always wanted to play for Barcelona, his former Ajax teammate Gabri Garcia has said.

- Liverpool hopeful of Suarez stay

On Monday -- in what seemed like the start of a media campaign to build momentum for a move to La Liga -- the Uruguay and Liverpool striker's father-in-law told Spanish TV the time was right for him to leave Anfield.

Suarez missed Uruguay's first game of the World Cup, a 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica, but returned to score two fine goals in the 2-1 victory over England.

Both Mundo Deportivo and Sport now claim talks between Barca and Liverpool over a move have started, with Real Madrid also said to be seriously interested in signing the 27-year-old.

Gabri told Catalan radio show Esports en Xarxa, in quotes reported by Mundo Deportivo: "[Suarez] has always had in his head that some day he would be there.

"I believe that he would be a great signing for Barca. He would adapt very quickly, very well, and would fit in very well inside the club. Also, he has his wife's family living in Barcelona."

In December, Suarez signed a new contract tying him to Liverpool until 2018, but some reports in Spain suggest he still feels let down by the club's breaking of a promise to let him leave last summer.

The contract is thought to include a release clause, although sources have refused to confirm reports that it would be triggered by a 65 million pound offer, while reports suggest Barca's Chile attacker Alexis Suarez could be included in any deal.

Suarez has claimed he still feels unloved in England and has been "under attack" from the media, despite winning all three domestic Footballer of the Year awards after scoring 31 league goals for Liverpool last season.

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