LAFC rule out a Luis Suárez move this summer
Earlier on Tuesday it was reported that the 35-year-old striker was close to joining LAFC, but sources close to AS USA have ruled out the move.
After parting ways with Atlético Madrid at the end of last season, Luis Suárez is a free agent and has been in search of a new club over the summer. The Uruguay international told Radio Sport 890 last month that he had offers on the table from six clubs in Major League Soccer and was considering the move.
“The market in MLS is very complex. Some clubs want you, but they don’t have the slots, and so it would have to be for January,” said Suárez. “Other clubs want you now, but I have to evaluate if they have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs.”
Suárez weighing up his options
The 35-year-old striker wants to play in a competitive team because he wants to be in top form for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Suárez has been linked to a move to Inter Miami, but the David Beckham-owned team is struggling to secure a playoff spot and their season might come to an end in the first week of October.
That means that if Suárez joined the Miami side he could stop playing almost a month before the World Cup. The other option is Los Angeles FC and according to several reports, Suárez is closer than ever to joining the ‘Black & Gold’ because they have a designated player spot available. The rumor grew because late-last month LAFC’s manager Steve Cherundolo wanted to add another striker before the end of the summer transfer window.
“In this league you have three designated players, which are allowed. It would be smart to add an attacking piece to this and I think a well-rounded attacker is certainly somebody who knows where the goal is, but who can also run and be very mobile,” Cherundolo said on 28 June.
Sources close to AS USA have confirmed that Los Angeles Football Club will not be signing Suárez this summer. Another team that decided to pass on the Uruguay international is the Los Angeles Galaxy because the head coach, Greg Vanney, is content with Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández and Dejan Joveljic, who play in the same position as Suárez.