The former Spain defender came up against the Uruguay star during his playing days and believes he would be a fine addition to the Camp Nou ranks

Carles Puyol has thrown his weight behind Barcelona’s pursuit of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.Barca have made the controversial Uruguayan their primary target this summer and preliminary talks with the Merseyside club are believed to have gone well.

Suarez has just started a four-month ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup but that has not deterred Barca, nor has Liverpool’s determination to hold out for a €94million fee.

Numerous Barca figures have openly spoken of their admiration for Suarez with Puyol, who will work under sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta next season after opting to end his playing career, the latest.

He told El Mundo Deportivo: “Luis Suarez is a great striker. I’ve played against him. All of the names that have been mentioned with Barcelona are good and we will have to wait and see who comes in the end.”

He added, however: “As a player you have a responsibility. A lot of people look at us and we have to be aware of that and control our actions because children want to imitate us.”

Suarez scored 31 goals in 33 Premier League games last season and would be a welcome addition to a Barcelona squad which, on the face of it, is also in need of strengthening in defence.

Although his latter years were plagued by injuries, Puyol’s retirement has still left them short of a commanding central defender.

Yet the 36-year-old does not believe the situation is as bleak as others have portrayed, adding: “The club already has some good central defenders. It’s not easy to find players who have the qualities to play for Barcelona.

“We need to leave Zubizarreta and his team to find the right players, but they already have Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique and Marc Bartra. It’s very difficult to improve on their level.”

The Fifa president is glad to see the striker has accepted responsibility for his actions and is looking forward to seeing him back on the field at the end of his suspension

Fifa president Sepp Blatter praised Luis Suarez after the Uruguay striker apologised for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.

Suarez was suspended from all football-related activity for four months and banned for nine international games after being found guilty of biting Chiellini during the Group D World Cup fixture in Natal on June 24.

And Blatter told reporters at a seminar in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday that he was pleased with Suarez’s stance.

“He said ‘I’m sorry’ to the soccer family, and that’s fair play too,” Blatter said.

“That shows he’s a great player and I hope he can have his soccer career back.”

The 27-year-old, who was banned for biting an opponent for the third time in his professional career, had initially protested his innocence following fierce backlash around the globe.

But the Liverpool striker finally apologised publicly in a move many believe was an attempt to help pave the way for a transfer to La Liga giants Barcelona, who are weighing up a big-money offer.

Suarez was first embroiled in a biting controversy back in 2010 during his time with Ajax, when he was given a seven-game ban for an incident involving PSV midfielder Otman Bakkal.

The Liverpool star was then slapped with a 10-game suspension after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic at Anfield last season.

A delegation from the Camp Nou club met Anfield chief executive Ian Ayre on Wednesday, with the Merseyside team keen to stand firm on their valuation of the Uruguay international

By Paul Clennam

Liverpool and Barcelona will continue negotiations over the potential transfer of Luis Suarez after initial talks were held on Wednesday, Goal understands.

An initial meeting between a Barca delegation and Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre in London is understood to have been ‘amicable’.

But Ayre reiterated, as revealed by Goal on Wednesday, that Liverpool are determined to only sell the Uruguay international if the terms are right.

Liverpool are interested in signing Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez as part of the transfer – the Chilean is also wanted by Arsenal and Manchester City – but the World Cup star’s involvement in the transfer is not believed to be a deal-breaker.

Sanchez is believed to be interested in Arsenal’s proposal and is set to meet Gunners boss Arsene Wenger for talks over a move to north London.

Liverpool are thought to want around €94 million [£75m] for Suarez, despite the striker’s four-month ban imposed by Fifa for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup.

No deal has been agreed in principle between the two clubs, but talks are understood to be progressing well.

After a summer in which he looked certain to leave Anfield, Suarez scored 31 Premier League goals in 33 games for Liverpool last season.

He recovered from injury to score twice against England in a 2-1 win for Uruguay during the World Cup group stages, but played no part in Uruguay’s elimination at the hands of Colombia after being hit with the third biting ban of his career.

However, the suspension and his history of controversy has not deterred Barcelona from attempting to sign the 27-year-old.