Luis Suarez wants to extend his stay at the club which he believes is justified after his performances this season.

Barcelona are in the hunt for an unprecedented third European treble as they are in the Copa del Rey final, have an 11 point lead in the league with seven games remaining and are due to face Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals. Luis Suarez has contributed to that with 23 goals and 11 assists across all competitions, and his recent form has helped the Catalans earn a win against Atletico Madrid, as well as a draw with Villarreal.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Suarez wants a new contract to extend his stay at the club past 2021 as he is convinced his form this season merits it even though he is the wrong side of 30 and will be 34-years-old by the time his current contract runs out. His chemistry with Lionel Messi could play a large part in this as the Argentine has a large influence due to being the best player as well as the captain, and the two of them have a strong connection on and off the pitch.

The main issue for the Uruguayan is his recurring knee injuries which have kept him out for numerous games at various stages of the season. These are only likely to get worse with age as his body starts to slow down and struggles with Barcelona’s gruelling schedule. Therefore, bringing in someone young is a priority due to the fitness requirements, and they can act as a long-term replacement for Suarez.

Barcelona have been linked with a number of strikers throughout the season including Luka Jovic, who appears to be the current favourite to join the club due to his remarkable season with Eintracht Frankfurt. They need to continue their pursuit of the Serbian as he possesses a high level of technical ability and intelligence that would make him a good fit at the club.

Suarez is capable of individual moments of brilliance and is on course to produce 25+ goals for the fifth season running at Barcelona, but he is guilty of missing a large number of chances and has spells of inconsistency. His record in the Champions League is worrying as he is yet to score this season and hasn’t scored away from home in the competition since September 2015.

The 32-year-old has been a faithful servant for the club, but extending his contract would be a bad idea as Barcelona need longevity in that area. There is an experienced spine to the team that needs to be gradually replaced and Suarez has shown the clearest signs of decline out of those players, so he needs to be moved on over the next few seasons preferably selling him rather than letting his contract run out.