Luis Suarez wants one more European challenge before he retires and a move will happen before the end of the month if he finds the right club.
The Atletico Madrid striker, who was linked with a move to Aston Villa earlier in the week, was on the bench again last night as Diego Simeone’s team crashed out of the Spanish Cup at the last-16 stage. They have now lost seven of their last 12 games.
In the league this season Simeone has only given Suarez three full 90 minutes and the club look unlikely to offer him an extension to his current deal that runs out this summer.
Suarez, 34, wants to play until the end of next season before assessing the possibility of finishing his career in the MLS alongside Lionel Messi.
He has turned down various offers from South American because he wants to stay in Europe and believes his 21 league goals last season, that helped Atletico win La Liga, and his seven goals in 13 starts this campaign prove he can still perform in a top European League.
A move from Aston Villa to sign him is unlikely after they made his former Barcelona and Liverpool team-mate Philippe Coutinho their main January signing.
But a Premier League destination has not been ruled out and both the player and Atletico Madrid are open to a transfer in this window.
Suarez was dumped by Barcelona in 2020 after scoring 198 goals in 283 games for them.
He left as their third highest all-time goalscorer and with five La Liga titles, four Spanish cups, and a Champions League.
He joined Atletico Madrid and promptly scored the goals that won them the league as Barcelona floundered but now it’s Atletico who are floundering 16 points from leaders Real Madrid.
Simeone has began to favour the club’s record signing Joao Felix, the Brazilian, Matheus Cunha, and Angel Correa in his starting XI.
Suarez is not happy on the bench with a World Cup to look forward to at the end of this year and does not want to spend the second half of this season on the sidelines.