8th of July began with a surprising story for many Gooners. When they began their routine of checking BBC Sport to get an update on the football world, many were left rubbing their eyelids as the cover story read 'Liverpool reject £30 million Arsenal bid for Suarez'. Surely not, they thought. But the story was completely true. And just like that, opinions were changes towards the Uruguayan. Many wanted him at the Emirates no matter what, without weighing up the pros and cons.
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of Arsenal completing a deal for 'El Pistolero' :
Pro : Proven Premier League Player
One of the main criticisms aimed at Arsene Wenger is his lack of purchases from within the Premier League. Bringing in players from abroad means that they would need time to adapt. Adapt to a new league, a new country and a new language. Wenger's capture of playmaker Mikel Arteta proved that buying from within reaps tremendous rewards as the Spainard fitted in seamlessly at the club and put in some exceptional performances in the red and white. However, Olivier Giroud needed time to get used to new surroundings and some poor performances were had as he struggled to find the back of the net. Robin Van Persie's 2012-13 season for Manchester United proved that Premier League experience is vital for any team. Coming off the back of a 37 goal season at Arsenal, he joined the Red Devils in a £24 million deal and his 29 Premier League goals led the to the title. In his first full season at Liverpool, Luis hit 17 goals in 39 games. This period allowed him to get to grips with the tempo of the league and it's physical demands. In his next season, he was arguably the Premier League's best player and was on course to win the Golden Boot before he received a 10 match ban for biting Ivanovic in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea. Nevertheless, he accumulated 23 goals in 33 games for the Reds domestically and 30 goals in 44 games overall.
Con : Attitude
Where do I begin? From racism to finger salutes. From diving to cannibalism. Via a rejected handshake. Luis' hothead attitude has landed him in some serious trouble for himself and for Liverpool. In fact, he has received a combined ban of 19 games from the FA, and is the middle of one right now after Ivanovic-gate. Anyone who signs Suarez will receive an excellent footballer, but also a frustrating one. His antics concerning diving are frequently criticized by the public. He has only admitted to attempting to fool the referee once and that was for a dive against Stoke. But there have been many other incidents.
Pro : Not Just A Goalscorer
Some strikers can score but cannot create. Take Cavani as an example. A killer inside the penalty area, but outside he's a liability. Some strikers can create but cannot score. Take Cassano as an example. A killer outside the penalty area, but inside he's a liability. Luis is the best of both worlds. As well as scoring 23 times, he also created 90 chances for his team mates with 2.7 per game, the second highest in the league and the twelfth highest in Europe. There is no end to his talents as his dribbling ability is a valuable asset to any team. He completed 95 dribbles at 2.9 times per game. His role in the false 9 position for Liverpool allowed him to roam the pitch a la Messi. As a complete attacker, he was virtually unplayable.
Con : 6 Match Ban
Now we all know how vital a great start is to a new season. It sets a tempo for the team to deliver from. Should Suarez arrive at the Emirates, so would his current 6 match ban. That is a lot of games to miss out on. I know that there are 38 games in a Premier League season, but to miss the opening six would be very damaging to a club's prospects. I mean, Giroud has the capabilities to handle the pressure. Fresh from a decent first season, already scoring goals for fun on the Asia tour with 5 goals in 2 games, and with a point to prove to the club and the league. But he would be filling in for a genuine world class talent, so the jury is still out to whether he could pull off a six game masterclass.
Pro : Rage To Succeed
Suarez is no normal football player. Normal football players get signed by a club at a young age, progress through the academy and sign a professional contract with that team. From there, they would stay with the club or seek pastures new elsewhere. Like I said, Suarez is no normal football player. He had no pristine training pitches or football boots supplied by the club. Instead, he played on farm-like pitches and with bare feet. His biggest influence wasn't his parents, but rather his then-girlfriend and now-wife, Sofia Baibi. He used to pick up coins from the street to pay for stuff to get her as a gift. If that ain't love, I don't know what is. When she moved to Barcelona in 2003, Suarez suffered so badly that he quit football. She eventually convinced him to pursue him career in the beautiful game. He knew that the only way that Sofia and himself could be together would be if he moved to Europe. So from then on, he started to become a goal scoring machine in the hope of being spotted. Dutch club, FC Groningen, took a gamble on him and paid his club Nacional a sum of £660,000 for his services. Suarez had it all. The club in Europe. The girl. The money. He could have laid back and basked in his achievements. But he became more and earned another move to heavyweights Ajax. In Amsterdam, he became a legend after scoring 111 goals in 159 games, putting him in the midst of Marco Van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp. A £23 million move to Liverpool was next and the rest is history. Not bad from the kid from Salto. Suarez is not one to sit back at any time. Improving himself is always on his mind, and Arsenal would benefit hugely with a player with such a mentality.
Con : Wastefulness
He may have scored 30 goals in his 44 games, but it could have been a lot more. A lot more. No player in the Premier League attempted more shots than the Uruguayan last season, as he took 187 shots in total and 5.7 shots per game. His conversion rate stood at 16%, below Van Persie at 23%, Benteke at 25% and Michu at 20%. He will score goals, but he will miss goals as well. However, when presented with a clear cut chance, there is only one man better than him last season with Gareth Bale having a clear cut chance rate of 58% and Luis' standing at 53%.
