Striker Luis Suarez is set to leave Atletico Madrid at the end of the current campaign when his contract expires.
The Uruguayan striker joined Los Rojiblancos from Barcelona last season and his goals helped fire Diego Simeone’s side to the league title.
Suarez netted 21 goals in La Liga as Atleti claimed their first league title in seven years, but this year both the striker and the team have struggled to replicate such form.
The 34-year-old netted in Thursday night’s Copa del Rey victory over third tier side Rayo Majadahonda – ending a run of 11 matches for club and country in which he had not found the net.
Suarez has scored seven La Liga goals this season – a respectable return – but his last goal in the division came on November 7 and he has fallen from prominence under Simeone, with a recent report claiming he snubbed the chance to join Italian giants Juventus.
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Despite appearing in every league game this campaign, Suarez has been restricted to just 13 starts with form and fitness meaning that others have been selected ahead of him.
The return of Antoine Griezmann to the Spanish capital this summer has ensured that Simeone has had to rejig his attack, with Joao Felix also pushing for a regular starting slot.
With just eight goals across 25 matches in La Liga and the Champions League this campaign, Suarez has dipped below a goal every three games and for a player of his profile, this is hindering Simeone’s side.
The Uruguayan is a predatory penalty-box goal scorer and without goals, his place in the side will come under increasing scrutiny.
Suarez is keen to play a starting role for his nation in this year’s World Cup – which is expected to be his last – and he will want to ensure he is playing regular first-team football.
Atleti’s results this campaign are significantly worse off too; despite having a game in hand over Real Madrid, they sit a whopping 14 points behind their city rivals and are languishing in fourth spot.
Suarez’s frustrations were made clear with a recent foul-mouthed rant at Simeone after being substituted off in the league defeat at Sevilla last month.
The former Liverpool striker was visibly frustrated by the decision and was spotted on camera shouting furiously in Spanish: "f****** idiot, always the same."
It was unclear where the abuse was directed, but it certainly seemed to be in the direction of his manager.
Reports from Italian media outlet Corriere dello Sport, as per Diario AS, now claim that Suarez is resigned to leaving Atleti at the end of the current season.
The Uruguayan has already identified his next destination too, as he plans to move to the United States to play MLS.
Suarez has been in European football since 2006 when joining Dutch side Groningen from Nacional in Uruguay and he has scored 448 goals across the entirety of his prolific club career.
