What Suarez Said To Messi To Convince Him To Stay

Lionel Messi might be worshipped by Barcelona supporters for his extraordinary goal-scoring record, but it's also his loyalty to the club that makes him so loved by Catalonians.

However, his teammate, Luis Suarez, has made some interesting comments.

Messi has been playing for the Barcelona first-team for 14 years, but his strike-partner Suarez has said that in 2016, the Argentine superstar wanted to make the move away from the Nou Camp, because of the political crisis regarding Catalan independence in the city.

Now former Liverpool star Suarez, in an extraordinary interview, has confirmed the reports that he did want to leave. Suarez has even claimed that he was the one who persuaded the star to continue his time at the Barca.

He also says he's excited about the possibility of Atletico Madrid attacker Antoine Griezmann signing up to play under manager Ernesto Valverde. He says, however, that if the French forward did move down to the south coast, he won't be coming to replace any of the current players in the squad.

31-year-old Suarez is still firing on all cylinders for Barcelona. This season, he has netted 29 times in 47 games appearances.

Barca has been perceived as going downhill in recent years. This notion has formed ever since the halcyon Pep Guardiola years. Their surprise defeat and knockout in the Champions League to AS Roma has somehow defined their season.

But it's important to remember that, despite their premature exit in Europe, the Spanish giants have dominated La Liga in 2017/18. They have not lost a game yet. They are set to replicate the Invincibles' season, winning every single on of their 34 games aside from eight draws. It's a remarkable run that proves just how good they still are.

Just imagine how different that could've been if Messi left in 2016. He was scored 97 times in 103 games since that period, 67 of which have come in the league. It's unimaginable.

Do you think Messi will ever leave Barcelona? Let us know in the comments.

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Topics: Football News, Football, Barcelona, Lionel Messi

Jacque Talbot

Jacque Talbot is a journalist and sports writer at SPORTbible. He graduated from Manchester Metropolitan with a BA in English and Film. He is a football, snooker, and basketball enthusiast and has been published in the Daily Mail, The Guardian, The Set Pieces, Planet Football and the Morning Star. He’s the greatest thing to come out of Essex since Nick Frost.

@Jac_Talbot