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When it comes to Luis Suarez, the circus never quite packs up and leaves town. Having survived a summer of rumours and uncertainty, and having just returned from a ban, it only took a month before the whispers of Real Madrid coming in for the striker in January kicked off. Still, with six goals in five games before Saturday's disappointing outing at the Emirates, it was a nice break while it lasted. And at least this time, it would be hard to pin the latest mess on Suarez.
Asked about this new round of rumours linking him with a move to the Spanish capital during an interview with Uruguay's Sport 890, Suarez insisted he had heard "absolutely nothing at all" about a Real Madrid bid being in the works for January. For Liverpool fans at least it's worlds apart from the summer, when every rumour linking Suarez away from the club seemed to grow out of an interview with an outlet in his homeland.
"In the team we are all really excited, looking forward—and looking forward to a good season," he added, putting further distance between himself and what appears an increasingly ridiculous story floated by English rumour mongers Metro of a potential £20M plus Karim Benzema deal being in the works. "The Premier League is the best league there is. The stadiums, the atmosphere, and the fans make football here so entertaining."
Of course, even if it's nice to hear Suarez saying the right sorts of things to the Uruguayan press this time around, Suarez was saying all the right things last season, too. Right up until the point he wasn't. This time, though, at least most fans won't feel quite so invested in what happens to Suarez over the longer term, and so as long as he's scoring goals and making noises that don't seek to actively undermine Liverpool's season, for most that will be enough.