IT was bound to happen, eventually.
Uruguay has two great strikers, Liverpool has one, Napoli has the other. Both are being linked with moves to ‘bigger’ clubs. 99% of knowledgeable football fans will agree – whether they like him or not – that Suarez is easily the better of the two.
Let’s face it: for all his goals Cavani could never single-handedly win an international competition, which is exactly what Suarez did a couple of years ago.
Yet, Cavani moves to Paris St-Germain for over £55 million and we’re being told to settle for whatever pocket-change Real Madrid throws at our hobo of a club? No thanks.
Cavani is like a Uruguayan van Persie – great goal-scorer, talented player but can ghost through games for weeks without doing anything.
On the other hand, Suarez is the Uruguayan equivalent of a Messi or Ronaldo. Granted, he’s probably not done enough to be considered at that level but he is usually always the best, most dangerous man on the pitch, whenever he plays and, last season, nobody scared Premier League teams quite like Suarez, regardless of what the EPL, PFA and FA will have you believe about Gareth Bale.
All personal opinions aside, there are the cold, hard facts about the two. Suarez is just 10 short of 200 career goals, having played most of his career in Europe, most recently with Ajax and Liverpool. While Cavani has barely passed 150, with almost 2/3’s of those coming in the last 3 seasons and has yet to play for a big club (having not yet played a game for PSG, of course).
Internationally, Suarez is even further ahead of his compatriot, with one goal ever other game for his country (35 in 69) whilst Cavani has not yet reached 20 in 54 appearances for Uruguay. They make a devastating partnership but Suarez is clearly the more dangerous and effective of the two, particularly as both men are the same age.
Many will point to Suarez playing a lot of football in Holland for one of the top clubs in that country and I, like many, have pointed out in the past that playing for Ajax is like playing for Celtic or Rangers in Scotland but Cavani has not exactly been playing in one of the top-3 leagues in Europe either, with Serie A falling behind the likes of England, Spain, Germany and even France in recent years. Either way over 110 goals in four seasons is nothing to turn your nose up at.
All of this raises the question: why have Napoli been able to get so much for a man that clearly isn’t as good as Suarez?
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It’s a tough one and the most obvious answer is that PSG have got money to burn and were prepared to reach Napoli’s release clause for the player. The likes of Chelsea and Madrid have been sniffing around Cavani all summer, so far, but rich as they are, they could both be bought several times over by the French clubs’ owners and those guys seem to only want to make statements. Building a ‘proper’ team doesn’t appear to have entered their minds.
As for Suarez, his personal baggage has probably made him a harder sale but that is something the club signing him will have to moralize before they make a bid and what other clubs (or the clubs fans) think about him shouldn’t matter a hoot to our owners, the player has a price and if it isn’t met, the player stays.
For the measly £30 million Ayre claims Arsenal offered, I’d rather let him sulk and give us another season; the starting bid, it appears, has always been around the £40 million mark and should not go any lower.
Of course, the fee touted for Cavani has further muddied the waters now and if – as claimed – there is, in fact, no release-clause in Suarez’s contract well then, Arsenal, Madrid and anybody else who’s interested best start scrambling down the back of the couch for some more pennies because the precedent has been set.
With fees for players who are just ‘very good’ now reaching ridiculous levels, the club needs to show a bit of back-bone and draw a line in the sand, saying: this is what we want for Suarez and unless you show that you’re serious, you won’t even get in the door.
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I agree.
Great Article. Spot on.
Suarez is definatly the better player but to answer your question
A. Suarez has publicly courted a move
B. His numerous misdemeanours
Clubs know they can get him for a bargain so why would they bid high. Without the things I mentioned Suarez would easily be worth 60 million plus in my opinion. As much as I love the guys talent he’s completely out for himself and has spat in the face of a club that has not only given him a platform to display his talents but also supported him when he has brought shame on himself and the club.
Liverpool should come up straight with saurez, that he will only be sold to another club at LFC’s call not his, else he will rot in the bench and cross his finger at his selection for national team for world cup, liverpool has the edge this time not the player with World cup on the corner .blast this on his face and he will instead bite his tongue
here, here…. all the moral posturising you get on the internet doesn`t change the fact that Suarez is in the top strikers in european (read world) football and should be priced as such.
If we can´t offer him CL football next year then ok fair´s fair, but he`s contracted and NESN are making good moves in the market so far….
there will be less paper space for Suarez articles with Mouro in town so he`ll prob get a better break from the press next year anyway!
No shortcut to value. Suarez is quality, end of. It’s a seller’s market and you pay what LFC demands. He’s still got three years of his contract to honor. Advantage us. Price? >50m
Dead, Cavani is far better. And he isn’t a cannibal
Check the stats Suarez is by far the better player
Think you’re letting the sun get to you pal..best have your milk then off to bed 🙂
Very Good Read / article , and well put over !
Suarex is far more better than Cavani in any area as a footballer.
Hmmmm…I agree with quite a few points, although I disagree with a few too. I think over the course of the season, Suarez was better than Bale, but next season (if Suarez remains a red) then defences will fear Bale more than Suarez. When Bale is on song, I’m not sure many can challenge him in the EPL.
Secondly, to say that the Serie A isn’t strong as it used to be is certainly true, but to use that as a means of disregarding Cavani’s 78 goals in 104 apps is ridiculous. If you watch Serie A, it’s clear that matches aren’t as open as they are in Holland nor in England – games are a lot tighter, with fewer chances. Napoli aren’t a household team either and he’s done very well to get those 78 goals.
The reason why these clubs were all willing to break the bank for Cavani is because he’s a number 9, something Suarez isn’t. Cavani plays on the shoulder’s of defenders whereas Suarez drops deep and drops into pockets inbetween the lines. As a number 9, Cavani is a natural goalscorer and a predator in the box. Suarez isn’t a natural goalscorer. At the end of the day, the clubs in for Cavani wanted someone who is lethal in the box. PSG already have people who can create chances – Moura, Pastore, Verrati, Menez, Lavezzi etc, and they just need someone to finish them in the box. It’s as simple as that.
The best article…but you forgot that Suarez has something Cavani can never possess and thats the ability to use free kicks to his advantage…scoring free kicks like there aint no tomorow,to be honest i value suarez at 60mil minus 3mil for his anger issues…but he is one of the best strikers at the moment
Suarez is worth 60mill I don’t why liverpool decided to put 40mil price tag on him we shld stop selling our star player on chip, luk at wht psg paid for cavani who is not even better than suarez
Suarez go for 50mil or stay there, no point u go by ur own force liverpool is bigger suarez
Dont like his attitude and his recent behavior but no one can deny Suarez is only behind Messi and Ronaldo. Its and insult to LFC and the player himself if his starting rate is anything below £55m. It will be a greater humiliation for us supporters if LS move to Arsenal.
Great point well made. I was just starting to come round to 40mil, but the rumour is bale is going to go for 70mil so we should be looking at at least 50mil, we should not sell to arsenal on principle as the first bid was a complete insult!
Great article! Suarez is one of the top five players in world football and a price merits that accolade! Time for the Real Madrid & Arsenal to show respect! Wenger put up or shut up!
I like this post
Suarez is worth so much more than 30 million Arsenal’s bid was a complete insult
I think the media are very good at touting fees for players and then the club picks up on it and then want that fee as a minimum. If Suarez was at any of the top 6 clubs or indeed abroad, then his value would be about £50m-£60m as a minimum. But the media like to point out how much we paid for Carroll et al whilst at the same time devaluing our players. Liverpool should add a premium over and above the £40m quoted to Real Madrid, if a premier league club bid for him! End of.
Good post ….luis suarez is a top player with lots of talent he is a better player then cavani as in cavani is a good player himself well if the price tag for him is 55m for bale around the 70m mark lfc should be looking at the 60m+ mark if not they should not sell him…luis suarez was the standout player last season for me in the epl but would like liverpool fc not to sell him an keep him ..
Good point.Completely Agree