10. Liverpool and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez
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Although he is undoubtedly a controversial character, Luis Suarez’s form this season certainly ranks him as one of the most talented players in the world at the moment. His dazzling displays and 30 goals have almost single-handedly helped Liverpool to a finish of 7th place, and many of his goals have truly been things of beauty.
The Uruguayan first joined the Reds from Ajax for £22.8million in 2011, after developing into a highly-rated talent during his time in Holland. He had an excellent record of 111 goals in 159 appearances for the Amsterdam club, whom he also captained in his final two seasons there. He is up there with legendary players such as Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp to reach 100 goals for the famous club.
He settled quickly at Liverpool, though some criticised his ability to finish off chances as he often made poor decisions and took too long on the ball, though there was no denying that his skill and flair made him a very exciting player to watch. After a full pre-season with the club, he looked improved in the 2011/12 season, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists. His finest hour came with a superb hat-trick against Norwich at Carrow Road, which he sealed with an incredible 50-yard lob over the goalkeeper, reminiscent of David Beckham’s famous half-way line strike for Manchester United against Wimbledon.
He truly reached his best in 2012/13, and he would have been a strong contender for PFA Player of the Year if not for his controversial bite incident on Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. This latest disciplinary problem saw him pick up a ten-match ban, meaning he missed the end of the season. The player himself feels victimised in England and is keen to leave for a move abroad to escape the press.
Real Madrid are said to be willing to pay as much as £50million for him, and there’s no doubt he is a player who should be playing at the very top and winning things, which doesn’t really look like happening at the moment at Liverpool. He has spoken of his desire to play alongside Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, and they would certainly form a mouth-watering partnership.
Juventus and Bayern Munich have also been linked with the talented 26-year-old, and it’s no surprise that Liverpool will struggle to fight off bids for their star player, who is definitely up there now with the best players in the world.