Time to say farewell? Luis Suarez visits close friend Lionel Messi at his house as he gets ready to join Juventus while Argentine’s transfer saga rumbles on after Barcelona urge his father to make his son do a U-turn
- Barcelona striker Luis Suarez was spotted at Lionel Messi’s house on Thursday
- The attacking duo have been strongly linked with moves away from the club
- Messi handed in a shock transfer request in August and has since gone on strike
- New Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman reportedly told Suarez he is up for sale
Luis Suarez was spotted at Lionel Messi’s house on Thursday as the Barcelona pair’s respective futures look more and more unclear.
Messi is in deep talks with the LaLiga giants over his future next season following his shock transfer request last month. Suarez himself has been linked with a move away from the Camp Nou with Italian side Juventus circling around his availability.
And the Uruguayan forward was snapped at Messi’s house along with his wife Sofia Balbi, which has intensified speculation over whether the pair have said farewell as team-mates.
Luis Suarez was spotted going to Lionel Messi’s house on Thursday amid doubts over his exit
Suarez and Messi could leave Barcelona this year and may have said goodbye to each other
The Barcelona attacking duo are not only best friends but also neighbours. It is understood Messi had a one-hour meeting with his father on Thursday about his future, with Suarez joining the Barcelona captain in a game of Padel before the meeting.
Messi’s saga took another twist on Thursday as the Argentinian forward’s father Jorge, who also acts as his agent, confirmed that his son could stay at Barcelona this year and leave on a free transfer ahead of next season.
This statement comes just a day after Messi Senior told reporters that it would be very difficult for his son to remain a Barcelona player for the coming season. Manchester City, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with the player’s signature.
The 33-year-old is currently in a legal dispute with Barcelona over a clause in his contract which states he can leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Messi’s father Jorge (in car) had a meeting with his son on Thursday over his future
Messi (L) and Suarez (R) are friends and neighbours – they played Padel before the meeting
Messi attempted to activate that clause when he made the transfer request via burofax in August, but the Catalan club told their talisman that the clause expired on June 10.
LaLiga backed Barcelona on their stance, stating that any club who wants to sign Messi must pay his release clause, which stands at £630million.
Messi’s father met with Barcelona earlier this week to come to an arrangement, but Barcelona stood firm on the issue. The player has not reported back for pre-season training and is currently still on strike.
Meanwhile, Suarez was reportedly told by new Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman that he is no longer required at the Camp Nou.
Suarez has been strongly linked with a £4.4million move to Serie A giants Juventus
The Dutch coach told the Uruguayan striker in a one-minute phone call that his time at Barcelona coach is over, despite Suarez being the third-highest goalscorer in the club’s history.
Reports in Italy said that Juventus are looking to snap up the 33-year-old this summer for a deal worth £4.4m.
The Serie A champions are willing to offer Suarez a £9m-a-year contract, with several bonus clauses to be added, according to Sky Sports Italia.
However, Suarez is reportedly demanding £22m in severance pay, putting his proposed Juventus deal in doubt.
