Luis Suarez to return to Uruguay with former club Nacional

They say never go back but Luis Suarez is throwing caution into the wind as he agrees to join his former club Nacional.

Suarez on his Instagram account said:

"I’ve now reached a pre-agreement in order to join Nacional. It was impossible for me to say no to this opportunity.I hope final details will be resolved soon in order to complete the deal officially."

Luis Suarez and Where He Started

Uruguayan side, Nacional,  is the club where Luis Suarez started his career and it would be an emotional return to play back in South America before the World Cup.

Suarez came through the youth ranks and made his debut for the club in 2005. He scored 10 goals in 27 appearances for the club as they won the Uruguayan League in the 2006/7 season. Suarez also represented them four times in the Copa Libertadores.

He played just one season before heading to Holland to join Groningen and then gain success at some of Europe’s biggest clubs as he would go on to play for Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona and most recently Atletico Madrid.

What Other Options did Suarez Have?

Suarez was linked with a move to MLS with Los Angeles FC, where he would have been teammates with Gareth Bale and Georgio Chiellini. Becoming teammates with Chiellini would have been interesting as we all remember Suarez biting Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

It was eight years ago now that the biting incident occurred but it may have caused a bit of awkwardness if the former Liverpool forward was to complete the transfer and walk into the dressing room at LAFC and see his new teammate, Chiellini.

Suarez was also linked with a move to Argentina with River Plate. However, after Los Millonarios were knocked out of the Copa Libertadores by Velez Sarsfield, the player lost interest in a move to the club.

How will he get on Back in Uruguay?

Returning to your former club does not always work out in football. However, Suarez is still a top-quality player who scored 11 goals and got three assists to help Atletico Madrid finish third in La Liga; only finishing behind Real Madrid (La Liga winners) and Barcelona (runners-up) of course.

Nacional is top of Group B in the Uruguayan Primera Division with 19 points from seven games played. They are also still in the Copa Libertadores and will face Atlético Goianiense in a two-legged quarter-final next month. The first game is on the 2nd of August so their fans will be hoping Suarez’s deal will be completed in time.

Joining a team still in the Copa Libertadores must have been key to his decision as he turned down River Plate because they were no longer in the competition.

It is also a World Cup year and Uruguay is in a tough group alongside Portugal, Ghana, and South Korea. Suarez returning to Uruguay before Qatar 2022 will only boost the buzz for football in his home country.