Ex-Liverpool star's Man Utd transfer clause that blocked four deals and left him furious

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Manchester United were linked with a former Liverpool star in 2020, but the small print in his contract stopped a transfer in its tracksLuis Suarez's tenure at Liverpool was marked by a flurry of goals, and his stint at Barcelona saw him convert those goals into trophies. For many, that's the enduring memory of his time at Camp Nou.However, what often goes unmentioned is the bitter nature of his exit from the La Liga heavyweights, with threats of legal action and disagreements slightly marring his illustrious six-year spell at Barcelona.

Once it was evident that his time with the Blaugrana had come to an end, Suarez was eager for a fresh challenge and was reportedly informed by the club's top brass that he could depart on a free transfer in the summer of 2020.This proved easier said than done, considering Suarez still had a year remaining on his Barcelona contract. Nevertheless, the forward's agents had struck a deal with the Catalan giants, which would see their client forfeit a portion of the money due 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 intense speculation at the time.

Premier League powerhouses Manchester United emerged as a surprise contender, although a switch to Old Trafford would have undoubtedly severed any remaining ties the Uruguayan international had with Liverpool.It soon transpired that becoming a Red Devil was never actually a possibility for Suarez, even if he had wanted it, as hidden in the fine print of his Barcelona contract was a clause stipulating he could not directly join United from Camp Nou.Suarez was prohibited from joining several other European football giants, including Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain - all of which were off-limits for the four-time La Liga champion.Tensions escalated between Suarez and Barcelona when it emerged that he wanted to join Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid, a team not listed in his contract clause.Consequently, Suarez and his representatives believed the transition from Barcelona to Atletico would be smooth. During his time as a Liverpool player, Suarez was quizzed about the prospect of lining up alongside Ronaldo.He responded: "Of course, I would like to play with Ronaldo, he is a great player.