Updated: 26 Jun 2026 16:53 BST |
5 min read
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Luis Suarez has advised Atletico Madrid on how they can keep Julian Alvarez from joining Barcelona this summer, having gone through a similar situation during his time at Liverpool.
Earlier this month, Alvarez publicly admitted his desire to leave Atletico and the Spanish giants have reacted negatively after Barcelona’s repeated efforts to unsettle the Argentine international.
Suarez believes the situation can still be resolved by Diego Simeone after drawing comparisons to his time at Liverpool and how he was convinced to stay despite interest from Arsenal in 2013.
“These are situations you force at a certain point,” Suarez told Mundo Deportivo. “I experienced it at Liverpool. In 2013, I forced my way out because I wanted to go to Arsenal. I argued with the club because we weren’t qualifying for the Champions League, and I felt I needed to take the next step.
“I remember the captain, Steven Gerrard, grabbing me and saying, ‘Stay. Next year you can go wherever you want: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern… But this year, please, stay. You can’t go to Arsenal.’ And he convinced me. And in this case, the same thing could happen with Julián: Cholo could grab him and say, ‘This year I want you to stay with us.’
“I was convinced by a Liverpool legend, the captain. I came to my senses, then I went out and apologized, and it ended up being my best season at the club. Even if you forced your way out, if people then go onto the pitch and see you give your all, work hard, and defend the club, they end up applauding you.”
Alvarez would ‘fit in at Barcelona’, claims Suarez
Barcelona are determined to sign Alvarez this summer and are expected to make a significant bid to sign the 26-year-old despite Atletico releasing a statement telling the Catalans that they will not sell their star man to their rivals.
Alvarez is keen to join Barca and has so far shunned interest from the likes of Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in order to push through a move to his dream club but Atletico have insisted that his €500 million release clause will need to be paid if they want him.
“He’s a very hard-working player,” Suarez said of Alvarez. “At Barcelona, he’ll have wingers who will create many chances for him. He has good ball control and good movement.
“He’ll fit in immediately at Barcelona. But there’s the other side. He’s at a big club like Atlético. It’s going to be difficult to leave. These next few weeks are going to be a good story.”
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