Luis Suarez's time at Liverpool was characterised by a torrent of goals, and his tenure at Barcelona saw him transform those goals into silverware. For many, that's the lasting image of his stint at Nou Camp. However, what often gets overlooked is the acrimonious nature of his departure from the La Liga titans, with threats of legal action and disagreements slightly tarnishing his illustrious six-year spell at Barcelona.
Once it became clear that his days with the Blaugrana were numbered, Suarez was keen for a new challenge and reportedly told by the club's hierarchy that he could leave on a free transfer in the summer of 2020. This proved to be easier said than done, given that Suarez still had a year left on his Barcelona contract.
Nonetheless, the striker's representatives had brokered a deal with the Catalan giants, which would see their client give up a portion of the money owed to him in the final year of his contract, provided he was allowed to leave without a fee.
His next destination was the subject of fervent speculation at the time. Premier League heavyweights Manchester United emerged as a surprise contender, although a move to Old Trafford would have undoubtedly cut any remaining ties the Uruguayan international had with Liverpool.
It soon became clear that a move to United was never on the cards for Suarez, even if he had wanted it, due to a clause in his Barcelona contract that explicitly prohibited him from joining the Red Devils directly from Spain.
Suarez was also barred from signing with several other European football powerhouses, including Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain - all of which were no-go zones for the four-time La Liga winner.
The situation between Suarez and Barcelona heated up when it came to light that he was keen to join Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid, a club not mentioned in his contract clause.
As a result, Suarez and his team thought the switch from Barcelona to Atletico would be straightforward. However, Barcelona were reluctant to let him go to a league rival and threatened to scupper the deal.
This stance was largely shaped by Barcelona's past experience of allowing David Villa to transfer to Atletico in 2013, a decision that backfired when Villa led the Rojiblancos to a La Liga title and ousted the Catalan club from the Champions League on their way to the final.
In the end, Barcelona gave the green light for the deal, and Suarez went on to enjoy considerable success at the Wanda Metropolitano, clinching the 2020/21 La Liga title with Atletico.
There were rumours that Suarez might have contemplated a move to United at some point, with some suggesting that Cristiano Ronaldo could have been a key influence. The Uruguayan was once again linked with the Red Devils during the summer of 2021, after Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford.
Comments from Suarez dating back to 2013 resurfaced, sparking chatter among fans. During his stint as a Liverpool player, Suarez was asked about the possibility of playing alongside Ronaldo.
He replied: "Of course, I would like to play with Ronaldo, he is a great player. You never know, but it is complicated. At the moment he is in Madrid and I am in Liverpool and I do not know what is going to happen."