Inter Miami has added another superstar to the squad. The announcement of Inter Miami’s latest contract means Lionel Messi will reunite with another former teammate at Barcelona. Besides Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez will play with Messi in the US.

 

It’s been nearly 4 years since Messi and Suarez last wore the same shirt. Suarez, who turns 37 in January, has played for three clubs since then, in three different countries. How will the current version of Suarez be different in his Miami reunion with Messi?

Suarez left Barcelona in the summer of 2020 – 1 year before Messi moved to Paris St Germain. He joined Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, a club with a defensive philosophy, completely opposite to Barcelona’s. However, this striker still adapted well and developed strongly in many aspects.Madrid-based journalist Euan McTear said: “There were certainly high expectations when Suarez arrived at Atletico. We cannot forget that he scored 16 goals for Barcelona last season, despite not playing much.

 

Therefore, most fans believe that Suarez can contribute well. The question mark is how long he will play at the highest level and whether injury can be avoided. Luckily for Atletico, their gamble paid off.” The sharpness was partly lost in the last period at Barcelona, Suarez has revived it in Madrid. Obviously, the decline of the Uruguayan striker has been greatly exaggerated. Scoring 21 goals in 32 matches, Suarez played an important role in bringing home Atletico’s first La Liga title in 7 years.

 

When his two-year contract with Atletico expires in the summer of 2022, Suarez returned to his hometown of Uruguay and joined boyhood team Nacional. Scoring 8 goals in 16 appearances in a short period of 6 months, Suarez helped Nacional win the domestic championship. Then, in December 2022, the former Barcelona striker moved to Brazil and played for Gremio.

“It is great news for a Brazilian club to get a player like Suarez. There are some concerns about his physical condition. But he is a world-class talent, a “One of the best strikers of the 21st century. Therefore, there was more excitement than anxiety when he arrived” – Robbie Blakeley, a journalist in Brazil, said.

Suarez has struggled with knee problems for most of his career at Barcelona. In Brazil, with a busy schedule, his knee problem became more serious. Suarez began receiving painkillers before and after matches and limited training. This striker signed a 2-year contract with Gremio, but in July, information appeared that Suarez could cancel the contract due to injury.Despite this, Suarez still finished the season with 26 goals and 17 assists in 53 appearances in all competitions. The Uruguayan striker inspired Gremio to finish second and win the title of Best Player of the season.

 

Age and injury mean Suarez is no longer at his best like he was at Liverpool and Barcelona. However, he still proved extremely effective as a goalscorer, creator and leader.

“The knee has hindered Suarez a lot in terms of his speed and ability to beat defenders,” Blakeley said. “However, his movement is still there with the intelligence to find space, link up with the midfield and attack.

And Suarez’s finishing ability doesn’t seem to have diminished at all. Obviously, the Brazilian national championship is very far behind the Premier League and La Liga, but he can adapt very easily.”

Suarez’s acumen and close relationship with Messi both on and off the field will help Miami next season.