“Benzema to Arsenal, It was All Done” – Luis Suarez Reveals Real Madrid’s Interest in Signing Him Before Barcelona

A prime Luis Suarez was not just a spectacle to watch; he was a jewel to be acquired. Despite being full of controversies, he was still one of the most demanded strikers during the early 2010s. FC Barcelona’s treble in 2015 had to see quite a few things going their way. Being one of their main contributors, Suarez has revealed that he could have landed up with Joan Laporta’s rival! Many factors came into play, including the World Cup biting incident.

However, the star chose the Catalan club, saying, “It was the dream I had for many years, and it came true.” The Uruguayan international recently expressed how his magnificent 30 goals in consecutive seasons for Liverpool impressed Florentino Perez to hire him. It was a dry period for Real Madrid. The club had not won its staple UEFA Champions League title in 12 years.

That was when they showed interest in Luis Suarez after they were ready to let Karim Benzema go, according to the Uruguayan. Speaking on the La Mesa podcast, he said, “Before the 2014 World Cup, Real Madrid wanted to sign me, and everything was on track… They were planning to sell Benzema to Arsenal; it was all done.” 2013 was when they began showing an interest in Suarez, according to other reports.

Luis Suarez revealed that it would have been “very difficult to say no to Real Madrid,” but all of a sudden, his favorite team, Barcelona, came into the race. On the other hand, Real Madrid was basking in the performances of Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema played second fiddle to the Portuguese sensation.

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Therefore, Carlo Ancelotti might have thought that it was better to send Benzema away to Arsenal. The London club did not have a prominent striker after the departure of Thierry Henry and made repeated offers for Benzema. Nevertheless, he stayed back in Madrid for a spellbinding stint, winning 5 more Champions League titles thanks to multiple factors.

How did the 2014 World Cup end Luis Suarez’s links with Real Madrid?

Luis Suarez revealed that the 2014 World Cup biting incident also played a role. He further said, “When the World Cup started, Barça joined the race, and obviously I preferred Barça. With the bite situation, Madrid lowered their interest, and Barça became more interested… In the end, I had both options, and I chose Barça because it was my dream.” The player also expresses gratitude to Blaugrana.

He revealed that he almost cried when he joined FC Barcelona. Apart from a dream coming true, he was so emotional that Luis Enrique trusted him despite the World Cup incident. Luis Suarez was handed a multiple-match ban after biting Giorgio Chiellini.

But ultimately, everything ended well for Luis Suarez, who won the treble the same season and multiple titles later.

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