Suarez admits to "talks with Real Madrid" before signing for Barcelona
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 24 May 2022 21:21 BST
- 3 min read
Former Barcelona forward Luis Suarez has admitted he spoke to Real Madrid before arriving at Camp Nou.
The Uruguay striker will become a free agent this summer upon the expiration of his Atletico Madrid contract, but he could've been playing for the team on the other side of the Spanish capital if things had gone differently.
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Suarez, 35, joined Barcelona in 2014 after a stellar spell at Liverpool. He netted 82 goals in 133 appearances for the Anfield side, including 31 Premier League goals in just 33 games during his final season at the club.
That prompted Barcelona to fork out a club record fee of around €87 million to sign him from the Merseyside team.
However, the Uruguayan has revealed he could've ended up at Barca's El Clasico rivals instead.
What has Suarez said?
In an interview with El Larguero, Suarez admitted to speaking to Real Madrid before agreeing the switch from Liverpool to Barcelona.
"There were talks with Real Madrid during the 2014 World Cup," Suarez said. "But my dream was always Barcelona."
Despite wishing to turn out in the famous Barcelona strip, Suarez revealed he had doubts about joining the club, hence why he spoke to Los Blancos as well, and admitted to lowering his salary to sign for his dream club.
"Sometime before signing for Barcelona, I was asked: 'Do you see yourself in Barcelona?' And I said no. There was Messi, Neymar and Sanchez. I said to myself, 'Where will I play?'
He added: "I was earning more in Liverpool than Barcelona, but I chose Barça because of the project."
Suarez scored 13 goals in all competitions for Atleti during the 2021/22 season, but hasn't yet been offered a contract extension. He will become a free agent on 1 July.
