Fans giddily react to reports that Luis Suarez may move to Aston Villa

Aston Villa have splashed out big time during the January transfer window, and recent reports linking them to Luis Suarez suggest that they’re not done yet.

The Premier League club has had an extremely busy month. First, they secured former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho on a loan deal from Barcelona.

It may be true that Coutinho’s best years are behind him. However, he’s still a quality player with an uncanny knack for goal-scoring.

Last week, Villa paid Everton a £25m fee for the services of Lucas Digne. One of the most sought-after left-backs in the market, Digne had clashed with the recently-sacked Rafa Benitez.

Both players are thought to be explicit requests by new manager Steven Gerrard, appointed on November 11. Coutinho shined alongside Gerrard at Liverpool, where they combined in a formidable midfield.

Gerrard and Coutinho launched Liverpool into Premier League contention in the 2013-14 season.

Now, both Coutinho and Gerrard might be close to reuniting with the main protagonist in that Liverpool team: Luis Suarez.

Luis Suarez considers Aston Villa move

The veteran Uruguayan striker might be on his way out of Atletico.

Diego Pablo Simeone needs to shake things up after one of his most disappointing seasons at Atletico. 16 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga, the Rojiblancos were almost knocked out from the Champions League group stage.

Following Antoine Griezmann’s arrival, Atletico need to shed some of their heftiest salaries. Suarez, whose contract ends at the end of the season, is a prime candidate to leave the club.

With Atletico unlikely to offer him more than a one-year deal, Suarez could consider a lucrative return to the Premier League.

According to Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Suarez has rejected offers from Palmeiras, Corinthians, Atletico Mineiro, and a Saudi Arabia club to leave his options open ahead of a potential move to Aston Villa.

A reliable source for Barcelona news, Gerard Moreno was the first journalist to report the Azulgranas’ interest in Ferran Torres.

Is Suarez still a top player?

Now 34, Suarez has lost the speed that once allowed him to effortlessly leave defenders behind.

However, his composure and accuracy in the box will make him a reliable number nine for most teams in Europe until the very last day of his career.

With Atletico’s recent struggles stealing headlines, it’s easy to forget that Suarez was the key man in their title run last season. After his unceremonious exit from Barcelona, the Uruguayan scored 21 goals in 33 games, helping Atleti to lift their second league trophy of the century.

Suarez’s numbers this campaign might not be his best ever, but they’re far from terrible. He has scored seven goals and given two assists in just over 1000 minutes of La Liga action.

If injuries don’t get in the way, it’s hard not to see Suarez scoring at least a dozen goals next season.

Money will be the deciding factor. Aston Villa are not in the position to offer Qatar money to Suarez, but they have a couple of cards to play: competitiveness and familiarity.

If Villa’s recent signings make a difference and they climb their way to the top eight, Suarez could be enticed to join them. The move would hold sentimental value for Suarez, who could reunite with former Liverpool stars Coutinho and Gerrard.

But first, Aston Villa would need to complete a permanent move for Coutinho, whose loan deal ends in July. Or perhaps Suarez could join in January.

With Suarez free to sign a pre-agreement for next season, we could have news in the next few days. After all, Aston Villa fans are already working hard on the signing.

Featured image credit: Getty