Luis Suarez set to sign for Atletico Madrid from Barcelona

Luis Suarez given the green light to leave Barcelona for La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid.

It has been public knowledge for some time that Suarez is not wanted at the Catalan club and were even happy to release him for free, but for this to happen he was not allowed to  join a number of other top clubs in Spain.

The Uruguayan agreed terms on a massively reduced salary with Atletico – it is believed he will earn half the figure he was on with Barca.

Initially, it was expected that he would sign for Juventus but this fell through due to passport issues.

Barcelona chairman Josep Maria Bartomeu had blocked a deal with Atleti because he did not wish to sell to a Spanish rival.

But, there was a U-turn after they met Suarez’s representatives, possibly as the striker is alleged to have threatened to publicise his grievances to the media.

The new deal will see Atletico pay just 4m euros for the 33-year-old, which is set to be based on his and his club’s achievements during the season.

The move signals the end of Suarez’s six-year career with the Catalan giants. He scored an impressive 198 goals in 283 appearances.

Since joining from Liverpool for £74m from Liverpool in 2014 and has helped them win four La Liga titles, four Copa del Reys and the Champions League and Club World Cup in 2015.