Barcelona eye Luis Suárez as alternative to Álvarez
Barcelona are considering Sporting striker Luis Suárez as a backup target if they fail to sign Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid.
Barcelona have spent the summer prioritising a move for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez as they look for a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski. However, Atlético have repeatedly turned down the Catalan club's offers and made clear that the Argentine forward will not leave. As a result, Barcelona have started to explore other possibilities.
One candidate identified by the club is Sporting's 28-year-old forward Luis Suárez. The Colombia international scored 36 goals last season, five of them in the Champions League. He joined Sporting last summer for €23 million after spells with Almería, Zaragoza and Granada in Spain, Marseille in France and Watford in England.
Suárez has made 17 appearances for Colombia and scored five goals. At the most recent World Cup, he featured in five matches, without finding the net but registering one assist.
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reports that Barcelona have Suárez on their shortlist but are also considering other names. The Portuguese club view Suárez as a key player, making any deal complicated. Barcelona are expected to wait until next week before deciding whether to move for Suárez or other targets, should the Álvarez transfer remain blocked.
