Luis Suarez leaving Liverpool would be a telling blow for the Anfield outfit

Will Luis Suarez leave Liverpool and join Barcelona?

Liverpool seem to be playing their cards perfectly in the transfer market so far, as they have already completed three major signings this English summer. Emre Can, the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder completed the move to the Anfield club on Thursday, and joins the Southampton duo of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert as the three players who have joined Liverpool ahead of the 2014/15 English Premier League season.

However, the club’s talismanic striker Luis Suarez, despite being banned from all football related activity for four months, seems to be heading to Barcelona, if reports are anything to go by. Various reports say that both Barcelona and Liverpool had talks over the potential transfer of the Uruguayan to Barcelona on Wednesday, and it’s said that a final decision on the transfer could be made in the next 48 hours. As a result, the big question is whether Liverpool will miss Luis Suarez if he signs for Barcelona?

After finishing the 2013/14 Premier League season as runners-up to the eventual champions Manchester City, and securing a direct UEFA Champions League qualification, the mood in the Liverpool camp must have been boisterous. Brendan Rodgers was astute with the way he wanted his team to play an attacking and innovative brand of football, which saw them score 101 goals in the Premier League, second only to Manchester City’s tally of 102. Suarez played a pivotal role in Liverpool scoring so many goals, and was the most outstanding player in a memorable season with 31 goals to his name.

Now, with Suarez’ departure from Anfield looking all the more imminent, it begs the question whether Brendan Rodgers’ blueprint of last season might undergo a revamp due to the Uruguayan’s departure. Rodgers, for a major number of games last season, played with a 4-1-2-1-2 formation and used Suarez in a variety of roles. Suarez played on the left flank for a few games, up top as the striker, and even on the right wing. He was prolific wherever he played. Albeit the addition of Lallana and Lambert into the Liverpool’s setup might mitigate the loss of Suarez, if it were to happen, Suarez’ potential can only be realized by the man himself.

His partnership with Daniel Sturridge, prominently known as the ‘SAS’, has terrified almost every defence in the Premier League, and has became one of the vital cogs in the Liverpool machine. It would be a huge loss to Sturridge himself if his strike partner leaves Anfield for Nou Camp. Suarez and Sturridge scored goals and created goals for each other, and their attitude was heartening to see. It always seems as if they want to outscore each other, and it is that attitude which makes them beautiful to watch.

Suarez’s departure will certainly bring down the attacking threat of Liverpool. He carried, and still carries, an aura that puts fear in defences when he starts running in behind them. His mercurial nature hasn’t spared the goalkeepers either. Last season, on numerous occasions, Suarez went for long range strikes when the goalkeeper was off his line. When he is at his best, he is the best.

To go with his incredible ability for a footballer, Suarez epitomizes a dogged attitude, and is indefatigable. He puts in the hard yards when Liverpool don’t have the ball, and tries to regain possession. Having a look at the defensive statistics of some of the leading forwards in the Premier League last season, Suarez leads the list of the number of tackles won and interceptions made – a list which also boasts of Sergio Aguero, Samuel Eto’o, Olivier Giroud, Romelu Lukaku and Wayne Rooney. He won 35 tackles and made 11 interceptions. These kind of contributions from the uruguayan were hugely significant to Liverpool’s incredible run in the League last season.

Suarez’ departure from Anfield might restore any of the tarnished gamesmanship effected by the Uruguayan during his time at the club. But when it comes to the real deal of scoring goals, creating goals and winning the ball back when they are without possession, Liverpool would never find a carbon copy replacement.