Luis Suarez offered new destination as club president confirms talks underway

Mexican side Cruz Azul want to sign Luis Suarez on a free transfer.

Suarez's existing deal at Uruguayan outfit Nacional expires at the end of 2022, although there is a player option for a further 12 months. Cruz Azul are looking to beat Nacional and MLS club Inter Miami, who are reportedly interested, to the 35-year-old's signature.

Despite his advancing years, Suarez is still finding the net with ease. He scored eight goals and provided four assists in 14 games for boyhood club Nacional last season to fire them to the Uruguayan league title. He also represented Uruguay at the World Cup in Qatar.

Cruz Azul's president Victor Velazquez was recently asked whether the Mexican side are interested in signing Suarez on a free transfer this January. "I don't have any news for you yet, but we've been in negotiations," he said in response, as quoted by AS.

"Our intention is to bring Luis Suarez to Cruz Azul, we just need to be patient and look for one or two other reinforcements on top of that. As well as a striker, we're also looking for a left-back."

Cruz Azul will be hoping to wrap up a deal for Suarez quickly, as their campaign resumes with a trip to Tijuana on January 8. Velazquez's side are still in the hunt for the Mexican title, and they have a decent squad that already includes three Uruguayans.

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Cruz Azul are one of Mexico's most famous clubs and have won nine league titles in their history. They've also won the CONCACAF Champions League six times, with only Mexican rivals America boasting more titles in the continental competition (seven).

Suarez is undoubtedly one of the best strikers of his generation after scoring more than 500 goals for club and country. His trophy cabinet includes five LaLiga titles, the Eredivisie title, the Champions League, the EFL Cup and the Copa America.

Suarez has never scored fewer than 10 league goals in a full season - as he joined Nacional midway through the 2022 campaign - and found the net 59 times in all competitions during the 2015/16 term to win the European Golden Shoe for the second time.

The former Liverpool hero would be a good signing for Cruz Azul, but they have competition for his signature. Boyhood club Nacional would like to keep him on their books, while MLS side Miami - co-owned by David Beckham - are on the hunt for superstars.

Miami's star player Gonzalo Higuain retired in October and they've since been linked with the likes of Suarez, Cesc Fabregas and Cristiano Ronaldo. The player they want the most is Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who is set to become a free agent in June.

The prospect of playing alongside Messi again could persuade Suarez to join Miami instead of Cruz Azul or another club. The pair are still close friends after playing alongside side each other at Barcelona for six seasons, winning four LaLiga titles together.