Published 11:07 IST, September 17th 2020
Barcelona willing to pay off Luis Suarez’s contract to speed up his exit but face issues
Barcelona are willing to pay off Luis Suarez’s contract after the player has agreed terms with Juventus but face issues over his passport.
Barcelona are reportedly willing to pay off Luis Suarez’s contract as they are prepared to offload the Uruguayan after he agreed terms with Juventus but reports suggest the Bianconeri could have a real issue as Suarez is struggling to obtain an Italian passport. In case Suarez does not obtain a European Union passport in time, Juventus will be forced to look at alternatives as Suarez will not be eligible to be registered for the Champions League campaign.
Barcelona willing to pay off Luis Suarez’s contract to get him out the door
Luis Saurez is on the last year of his contract with Barcelona but new boss Ronald Koeman isn't keen on the player and has informed him that he can leave. The club is keen to facilitate his exit to free up space for the new manager to bring in new recruits. Suarez is reportedly demanding to be paid the full £15 million he is due to earn this season in order to be bought out of his contract and Barcelona are more than willing to do that to get him out of the team, according to reports.
However, there are serious concerns as Juventus are unable to complete Suarez's signing due to a delayed process of securing Italian citizenship, according to Goal. The club has its foreign allotment occupied and the Luis Saurez transfer can only be completed when he acquires citizenship as it requires Suarez to join the club as part of the local quota. An Italian passport, therefore, is mandatory for Suarez to join Andrea Pirlo's side.
The forward, lined up as Gonzalo Higuain's replacement is hoping he will acquire the citizenship through his wife Sofia Balbi who is a citizen of the country. Suarez also needs to pass a B1 level Italian test which is of a lower intermediate level to be granted the passport.
Juventus are in the market for a striker and will monitor the Luis Suarez transfer status but will not be keen to wait around. The Bianconeri are exploring options, with reports stating that Alvaro Morata and Edin Dzeko are two players already on the club's radar. Juventus are in need of reinforcements up front with Gonzalo Higuain's contract terminated last week ahead of the Argentine forward's move to MLS outfit Inter Miami. The Old Lady begins her campaign this weekend as Serie A returns.
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Image Courtesy: Luis Suarez Instagram
Updated 11:07 IST, September 17th 2020