Cristiano Ronaldo Would Thrive in Potential Partnership with Luis Suarez
Matching together current Ballon d'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo with the Football Writers Association and PFA Player of the Year award winner Luis Suarez is a dream combination for Real Madrid.
Los Blancos are ready to make the dream a reality with a potential £100 million bid, according to Rob Shepherd of the Daily Mail. Shepherd believes it will take that amount to tempt Liverpool into parting with the catalyst of their free-flowing, high-scoring team.
Pairing with Suarez would be perfect for Ronaldo, who would thrive in partnership with the ultra-talented creative forward. Suarez would be a better complement for Ronaldo's powerful running than current striker Karim Benzema.
That's because Suarez is a more gifted creator than Benzema. He displays a superior touch and greater speed of thought.
| 12 | 2.6 | 75% | 87 |
Suarez has a natural instinct for exploiting space between defensive lines. That makes him a great weapon on the break.
Ronaldo is always at his best when he is partnered with a player who will quickly anticipate his quick runs down either flank.
That's exactly what Suarez has spent the season doing for Liverpool.
The Reds attack has worked best whenever Suarez has dropped just off the front, into a little pocket of space between the midfield and forward lines. From there, he has threaded numerous passes to speedy runners such as Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling.
The image of Suarez as provider is often eclipsed by his prolific form finding the net. While that's understandable, Suarez also has the technical quality to make any forward around him better.
That's a scary thought considering how dominant Ronaldo is now. Given what Suarez has done for the career trajectory of Sturridge, imagine what he would do for arguably the best goalscorer in the world.
Sturridge has gone from perennial underachiever to full England international while playing alongside Suarez. Even Ronaldo would be better because of the mercurial Uruguayan.
Benzema is a natural No. 9, but Ronaldo has always needed a more creative foil. As a less-than-typical No. 9, Suarez fits the bill.
He has been more effective in fewer games and would provide more opportunities for Ronaldo. That can only be a good thing for both the player and Madrid.
| 9 | 1.8 | 82% | 63 |
Ronaldo also needs someone who can do more of the dirty work to harass defenders out of position. Benzema does his bit in these areas but is not as much of a pest as Suarez.
The latter also carries a greater threat than the towering Frenchman. Suarez would draw more markers into space, leaving Ronaldo free to hang on the last line, ready to sprint into scoring areas.
As a creative grafter who won't mind letting someone else top the scoring charts, Ronaldo couldn't ask for a better partner than Suarez.
