La Liga
LUIS SUAREZ TURNS DOWN JUVENTUS
Barcelona reject, Luis Suarez is no longer Juventus-bound. His inability to secure Italian citizenship and passport are the reasons the unsettled Uruguayan has to look for other options.
Sources note that Suarez’s primary reason for rejecting a move to Turin was due to his inability to attain an Italian passport before 6 October, which would mean he’d be ineligible to play in next season’s Champions League.
Even though he still trains in Barcelona, he had been told by new boss, Ronald Koeman, that his services were no longer required at the club.
He is not alone in the axe list. Other senior squad members include Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal.
Koeman is keen to oversee a new era at Barça following his appointment, and now has the assurance that Lionel Messi will remain at Camp Nou for his debut campaign at the helm.
With Suarez out, the club is working hard to secure the signing of Lyon captain Memphis Depay to seemingly replace the 33-year-old Suarez.
Barcelona will have to sell the Uruguayan before they can fund a deal for the Depay.
The Spanish giants had earlier attempted to hasten Suarez’s potential move to Juventus by saying they’d pay off part of the final year of the Uruguayan’s contract at the club – worth around £15m.