5 reasons why Luis Suarez is the weakest link in the Barcelona attack

The Barcelona attack has always been a standout amongst the best on the planet. May it be Messi-Suarez-Neymar or Messi-Suarez-Dembele this season, Suarez has always been the one who scores goals and is known for his finishing ability. He has been one of the top goal scorers for Barcelona and has additionally won the golden boot for the 2015/16 season.

Regardless of which way you put it, it doesn't look good for Luis Suarez right now. Having substantiated himself as a standout amongst Europe's best strikers for years, nobody would have doubted him but it looks like he's tired now; he isn't the same anymore.

The striker has not scored in his last five games, which is awful when leading the line for Barcelona, however, this looks far more awful when it comes to European tournaments.

Today we'll discuss the major reasons why Luis Suarez has become the weakest link in the Barcelona attack.

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#5 Age Factor

It's often said that a player starts looking old when he turns over 31 and more often it's true in case of forwards. Their speed and sharpness in their finishing begin to slow down.

In case of the Uruguayan striker, it's the same. He has started looking slow, tired and not the same warrior anymore. Even he understands his case and has agreed when asked in an interview about signing his successor at Barcelona.

He said, "It's normal that Barça would look for a number nine, I'm 31 years old. "

The striker has now turned 32 and showed the world why a replacement for him should be brought soon. Barcelona does not have a proper striker at the moment to replace Suarez and are in search of his heir. They brought Kevin Prince Boateng, already 31, to help Suarez to rest for some matches but it looks like Valverde do not trust Boateng much. He has only played 60 min in the La Liga and still not played a single minute in the Champions League.

The age of Suarez is not doing to decline like his form and a replacement has to be found soon as he is one of the weakest players of the Barcelona attack.

#4 Knee Injury

Luis Suarez has been facing a knee issue for two years or so. He has been struggling with his knee and has even been out of the squad for some games.

In December, he finished his biological treatment using stem cells to help resolve the issues with his right knee. However, Barça remains concerned by the state of his knee. The Uruguayan striker has been dealing with discomfort in his knee for some time now after playing a lot of matches season after season. He also receives a special treatment to ensure he doesn't suffer any major relapses. The stress over his knee is more concerning in regards to the medium and long term. Suarez's persistent problems mean he will need more and more treatment in order to keep him at peak fitness.

It looks clear, the striker is not completely fit despite getting the green light from the medical staff of Barcelona. Also, he does not have a proper substitute who can give him rest for some of the matches.

#3 Champions League Curse

Luis Suarez's Champions League away-day goal drought sounds bad however you phrase it. It’s either 16 straight away games in Europe not scoring, or 1,510 minutes, or 24 hours, or three years.

Suarez is scoreless in the Champions League this season and has just one goal in his last 17 games in the competition. Indeed, he hasn't found the net away from home in the Champions League since September 2015. That's well over a thousand minutes, sliding over 24 hours as Barcelona drew 0-0 at Lyon on Tuesday in the last 16 first leg.

Suarez’s long-term problem is not helping things. He tensed up several times in front of goal on Tuesday night snatching at chances. And the weight of the unwanted record seemed to be weighing heavy judging from the pained expression he wore as he left the field.

With 15 goals in La Liga this season you cannot write Suarez off completely, although his declining performance levels have been masked by playing alongside one of his best friends - and the finest player in the world – Lionel Messi.

#2 Wasteful with Chances

When you play alongside the best in the world, you are surely going to get unbelievable passes. The same happens with Luis Suarez as he plays alongside Leo Messi. Messi has always been amazing, scoring goals, creating chances and leading the side. The Barcelona duo has been successful for years now, but this season it looks like one of them isn't in the best form. Though Suarez has scored 15 goals in La Liga so far, he keeps wasting chances created by the team and mostly by Messi.

On his recent performance against Valladolid, Barca striker only had 30 minutes of action but it was enough for Barca fans to start counting days until summer transfer window. The Uruguayan bottled four clear cut chances to double his side's advantage keeping Cules on the edge of their seats until the last minute of the game.

#1 No competition in his position

When it comes to Barcelona forwards, you will find only one proper striker, i.e, Luis Suarez. There is no substitute for him and hence no competition.

Barcelona had Paco Alcacer in the previous season who failed to be Suarez's heir and was sold to Borrusia Dortmund in the summer. Barcelona brought back Munir to play as Suarez's substitute, but he was not given many minutes by Valverde and he decided not to extend his contract. Due to this, the Barcelona board sold him to Sevilla in the winter transfer window.

Much to everyone's surprise, in January, Barcelona bought Kevin Prince Boateng on loan. The player who is already 31 is not brought to be Suarez's heir. He is only brought in as he is competitive in nature, more physical and can be used to give Suarez rest in less important matches. Boetang has played majorly as a midfielder in his career and is currently struggling to make an impact on the game and impress Valverde. He has just played 120 minutes in all competitions but hasn't been able to create chances or score any goals. He also wasted a one-on-one chance against Valladolid in the last Liga match.

Suarez is not going to get younger, the Barcelona board will surely try to buy a proper replacement for Suarez who can give him rest and good competition as well. Suarez is struggling currently and Barcelona would like him to regain his confidence soon as they are going to face important and tough matches in the coming days.