Soccer

Luis Suarez signs new Barca deal that includes €200m buyout clause

Former Liverpool striker will remain at Nou Camp until summer of 2021

Luis Suarez has signed a new deal at Barcelona keeping him at the club until 2021. A buyout clause of €200m has been included in the contract. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images

Thu Dec 15 2016 - 18:43

Luis Suarez has agreed a new deal that will see him remain with Barcelona until the summer of 2021, with a huge buyout clause of €200 million inserted.

The former Liverpool striker has been prolific since swapping Anfield for the Nou Camp in a deal reported to be worth €90 million two and a half years ago, scoring 97 times in 116 matches in all competitions.

The Uruguayan is also part of the much-feared MSN forward line at Barca as he, Lionel Messi and Neymar have been terrorising defences at home and abroad.

Their combination has reaped two league titles, two Copa del Reys, one Champions League, one European Super Cup, one Super Cup and one Club World Cup trophy.

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It is therefore little surprise that Suarez, who completed a five-year deal on signing for the Catalan giants in 2014, is set to commit himself to another long-term deal at the club.

Barcelona said in a statement: “FC Barcelona announces that they have reached an agreement with Luis Suarez to renew his contract until 30 June 2021.

“His buyout clause is set at 200 million euros. The new contract will be signed on Friday 16 December at 13.30.”

Barcelona were not dissuaded from paying out a heavy sum in July 2014 for Suarez, who was unable to make his debut until more than three months later due to his ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

But he has largely avoided the controversy that dogged his time at Liverpool, where he was given lengthy suspensions for an earlier biting offence – this time on Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic – and for being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Instead, Suarez has let his football do the talking, and he finished off his debut campaign at Barcelona by netting a goal in the Champions League final win over Juventus in Berlin 18 months ago.

He really hit his stride last season, though, with 40 top-flight goals in 35 appearances, including a double in Barca’s memorable 4-0 win at Real Madrid and a hat-trick against Granada that sealed the club’s latest league triumph.

The 29-year-old has bagged 10 La Liga goals in 14 appearances this season.

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