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Football

14th Sep 2020

Luis Suarez risks life in the stands if he doesn’t leave Barcelona

Ronald Koeman wants Luis Suarez to leave the club but if no agreement is found with a buyer, he could be banished to the stands for his final year

Reuben Pinder

Suarez has one year remaining on his contract

Luis Suarez could spend his last season as a Barcelona player watching from the stands if no transfer is agreed before the window shuts, according to ESPN.

New Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has no plans to use the forward who joined Barça back in 2014 and has since gone on to score 198 goals for the club.

Koeman has informed the the 33-year-old to find a new club, and Juventus have shown interest but no deal has been agreed. Suarez believes the club should pay him the remaining €25m wages on his current contract if they want him to leave, but Barcelona are now considering the prospect of banishing him from the first team squad for his final year at the club.

So desperate is Koeman to get rid of the striker, Barça would be willing to let him leave for next to nothing, but a permanent transfer going through relies on Suarez agreeing to lower wages at a different club.

It has been reported that Suarez has agreed to join Juventus but there remain a number of stumbling blocks, including an Italian language test that Suarez would have to pass in order to gain citizenship.

Suarez would have been happy to accept a back up role at Barcelona under the new managerial regime but Koeman remains determined to sell him, and bring in Memphis Depay, whom he coached for the Dutch national team.

Memphis has reportedly agreed personal terms with Barcelona and told Lyon he wants to leave for the Camp Nou but no deal has been agreed between the two clubs.