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When Luis Suarez signed for Barcelona in 2014, people were uncertain about his future. He was facing a four month ban following the biting accident at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and was not able to make his debut until October of his first season at the club. It was a mystery whether he would be able to control his behavior at his new club, where he wanted to play since childhood. Suarez had a bad reputation, a notorious air around him and that made a lot of people skeptical.
People were worried about whether he will be able to synchronize with stars like Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi. Casting all the doubts aside, he delivered on the pitch when his time arrived.
He answered his critics by his performance and play on the pitch. He has been at his brilliant best for Barca and has scored over 120 goals.
His first goal came against APOEL in the Champions League, and he never looked back from there. He won the Golden Shoe and Pichichi trophy for the 2015/2016 season. He became the first player to beat Messi & Ronaldo since his fellow Uruguayan Diego Forlan. He is one of the greatest strikers of all time, and already a living legend for FC Barcelona.
He still scores a lot of goals, but that does not present the real picture. He isn't as good a passer of the ball or competent at taking it past players. It is frustrating to watch him play as his dribbling pace and passing has dropped significantly. He misses a lot of easy chances, and has started to develop an attitude problem. Towards the end of the season, it seems like he was continuously pushing the blame onto younger players. It is not healthy for Barcelona as it can hurt the confidence of young players.
He wasn't at his best in Spain last season, and at times there were questions over his fitness, that perhaps led to Barcelona's unsuccessful pursuit of Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann. Barca do not have any proper replacement for him so they cannot sell him as it would be too dangerous. He is still one of the best players in his position. There are only a few players who can compete with him. The best thing club can do is that to rotate him, or to sign a top-class striker to compete with him. They can lower his wages, but that seems impossible for the player of his stature.
Barca can bench him, but considering his earning of 25 million euros, it does not seem to be a viable option. Valverde should rotate him like Cristiano Ronaldo. He is aging and as a result not able to keep his form up for a whole season. Suarez needs to listen to his body. There is no point playing him in every match and hoping that he will regain his form. As evident by his performance in January and February of last season, his performance improves when he takes enough rest.
