Luis Suarez was banned by Barcelona from signing for Manchester United – a move would which would have left the Uruguayan striker’s legacy at Anfield in tatters
Kasra Moradi Senior Sports Journalist
05:30, 17 Sep 2025
Luis Suarez was blocked from joining Manchester United by Barcelona(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United were once blocked from signing Liverpool icon Luis Suarez due to a transfer ban clause in his contract. The Uruguayan striker spent six seasons with Barcelona, winning four La Liga titles and the Champions League alongside the likes of Lionel Messi.
But after the 2019/20 season, the ageing star was informed by manager Ronald Koeman that he was no longer needed and should seek a new club.
The Catalans, however, allegedly backtracked on an agreement to let him depart for free when it became clear he was on the verge of signing for La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid.
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Suarez had agreed to forfeit a portion of the money owed to him in the final year of his contract, and in return, Barca would allow him to leave without a fee, as long as he didn’t join certain clubs.
Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were all part of that list, as agreed when he signed from Liverpool for £75million back in 2014.
The former Reds talisman agreed terms to join Atletico, only for the Blaugrana to block his move to the Spanish capital as well, having not wanted to strengthen a direct rival.
After threatening legal action and claiming that Barcelona should have honoured the agreement to terminate his contract, Suarez eventually penned a two-year contract at the Wanda Metropolitano.
He managed two goals and an assist on his debut – an early sign of the huge error Barca had made – and went on to net 21 goals in 32 La Liga matches, helping Diego Simeone’s side clinch the title. Suarez added another 13 goals the following season before making a move back to Uruguay with Nacional.
By securing the league title in his first season, the now Inter Miami striker, 38, achieved something he couldn’t manage in three-and-a-half seasons at Anfield, despite being considered one of the world’s top strikers at the time.
Barcelona lived to regret Suarez’s Atletico Madrid move(Image: Getty Images)
From January 2011 to the summer of 2014, the controversial forward racked up 82 goals in 133 appearances, including an extraordinary final season where he scored 31 in 33 league matches.
As such, he is one of the few players, alongside Fernando Torres, to hold legendary status at both Liverpool and Atletico, even though he was booed by the Anfield crowd when he returned to face them in the Champions League in November 2021.
The Reds triumphed in that group stage match 2-0, thanks to goals from the late Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane. It remains uncertain which of his former teams Suarez will be rooting for on Wednesday evening as they square off at Anfield, four years after their last meeting.
Ahead of their 2025/26 Champions League opener, the Reds have been in excellent form in the Premier League, winning all four of their matches so far. However, Arne Slot will be somewhat concerned that they’ve had to depend on late goals to secure each of those victories.
Atletico, on the other hand, have had a rocky start to their season, managing just one victory in their first four La Liga matches. Their only win came this weekend with a 2-0 home win against Villarreal, but facing Liverpool away from home will undoubtedly be a sterner test.