Report: Barcelona Lower Denis Suarez €40M Value Amid AC Milan, Napoli Rumours
October 25, 2018
Barcelona will reportedly lower their valuation of midfielder Denis Suarez amid speculation AC Milan and Napoli are considering a January swoop for the player.
According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Calciomercato), the Serie A sides have retained an interest in Suarez after failed summer pursuits. Barcelona were reportedly asking for €40 million (£35 million) before cashing in on the midfielder, but they are now said to be willing to soften their stance on that valuation.
Suarez does appear set to leave the Blaugrana soon, as he has yet to play in any competitive game for the team this season. Milan and Napoli are said to be out to strengthen their options in midfield positions, too.
The midfielder was always going to find it tough to get games this season, as Barcelona reinforced their choices in his area of the field.
Although Andres Iniesta, Andre Gomes and Paulinho all moved on, the club brought in Arturo Vidal and Arthur Melo. They also signed Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in January, who has also operated in midfield alongside Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets at times.
The end result for Suarez has been a stint on the fringes of the squad. It has been reported that he turned down the chance to play elsewhere this season:
The 24-year-old rejoined Barcelona in the summer of 2016 from Villarreal, having had a stint with the Catalan side's B team between 2013 and 2015.
He has been involved in the two seasons since, making a total 63 appearances for the Blaugrana, scoring six goals in the process. But now he appears to have fallen a long way down the pecking order under Ernesto Valverde.
Still, there's no doubt that Suarez is a talent, and at 24, he should have his peak years ahead of him. He also proved during his season at Villarreal that if he is played regularly he can be an excellent creative outlet.
After all, he's not been able to make a huge impression at Barcelona, as Spanish football journalist Rik Sharma noted last season:
For Suarez, a move would potentially reinvigorate his career. He would be a useful addition for either Milan or Napoli, as the Barcelona man is versatile in where he can play, technically brilliant and able to knit attacks together with elegance in the final third.
A valuation like the one Barca reportedly put on Suarez in the summer will surely be lowered, especially given there appears to be no chance of the midfielder getting minutes any time soon.
Suarez has been a professional at the Camp Nou despite not being a regular ever since returning, and the club surely won't begrudge him a transfer elsewhere to get consistent minutes again.