Messi’s Barca Teammate Accepts $11M Deal With Juventus, Could Soon Team Up With Ronaldo: Report

FC Barcelona star striker Luis Suarez has reportedly agreed to personal terms with Juventus at the ongoing summer transfer window.

Suarez, who has been a part of Barcelona since 2014, has been informed by new boss Ronald Koeman that he is no longer included in the club’s future plans.

Koeman, who replaced Quique Setien as Barcelona’s head coach following the club’s Champions League exit last month, has been given the task of rebuilding the side ahead of the 2020-21 campaign. The Dutchman even told Messi that his privileges at the club were done, which reportedly has pushed the Argentine to finalize his decision to leave the Nou Camp side this summer.

Messi’s father, Jorge, reportedly met Barcelona’s president Wednesday, but they failed to reach an agreement over the player’s future for the next season. Despite being told to find a new club, Suarez has continued to attend Barcelona’s training sessions, which began Monday. The Catalans are yet to decide if they will release the player this summer or not. It was previously reported that if Barcelona chose to do so, the club will have to pay a compensation fee of $17 million to Suarez, who then would leave the Catalans as a free agent.

Italian publication La Gazzetta Dello Sport has claimed that Suarez’s representatives have been in constant touch with Juventus over the player’s possible move to the club, where he would be teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo. After playing alongside Messi for six seasons, it will be interesting for Suarez to team up with another soccer legend Ronaldo, who has been Messi’s arch-rival over almost two decades.

With Gonzalo Higuain close to moving from Juventus to Inter Miami, which competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the U.S., the Serie A side is on the lookout for a replacement and it has identified Suarez as a perfect fit in their squad. The fact that they may be able to sign a talented striker like Suarez for free this summer is further pushing 'The Old Lady' to seal the 33-year-old's deal.

The Gazzetta Dello Sport report has also revealed that Suarez's contract reportedly will fetch the Uruguayan striker $11 million annually, which is the same as his current wages at Barcelona.