It’s a risk for Arsenal given his track record and the clock ticking towards the end of the summer window.
But tactically, his potential place in the team is interesting.
Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1 means Suarez is likely to figure at the point of the attack if he signs.
On one hand he is more suited to the Gunners attacking style than the improving-Olivier Giroud.
However Suarez’ wastefulness is a potential issue. A regular goal-scorer despite a modest chance conversion rate, Suarez was dispossesed more than any other player in the Premier League, bar Aston Villa’s Charles N’Zogbia last season.
He lost the ball 2.8 times per match while no Arsenal player made the Top 40 under that rubric. For a team that values possession, Santi Cazorla is the nearest Arsenal player at No 45 in the Premier League, losing the ball just 1.7 times per game while Giroud comes next on 1.4.
He may hold the ball up well due to his physique but the Frenchman’s more lumbering style may slow down the pace of Arsenal’s attacks. However Suarez’ more fast-paced and risky style of play could adversely affect the Gunners rhythm.
Change of pace and direction
But you could also interpret the dispossession stats in another way. It shows that Suarez is a player who does not mind taking risks, something occasionally missing from Arsenal's starting line-up.
While Podolski has a fierce shot from long range, he will not beat his man with pace or tricks. Theo Walcott has the pace but rarely dribbles past opponents.
Aside from Jack Wilshere who is deployed in a deep-lying playmaker role, Arsenal lack a player who can skip past his man and still be on the front foot. Suarez has that ability in an advanced position.
But he also provides versatility that Giroud cannot offer. With the disappointing Gervinho on the way to Roma, a direct attacker on the left flank instead of Podolski may be another option if Suarez is moved from the centre from time to time.
He has the creativity to play that role. Last season he ranked third in the Premier League for key passes per game on 2.7, just beaten by David Silva and Leighton Baines, while he was level with Chelsea’s Juan Mata. It is all the more impressive given his occasional selfishness on the ball and the fact that he was playing further up the field than those players.
His pace up front is also an asset that Arsenal have not really had at centre-forward since Thierry Henry left for Barcelona in 2007. With the Gunners often struggling to break down packed defences, a change of pace would be a plus point.
Defensively Suarez’ style could also lend itself to a more pressing-oriented defensive approach than Robin Van Persie or Giroud can provide from the front.
