Suarez is believed to be close to transferring to FC Barcelona, as the club has reportedly agreed to pay the £75 million release clause in his contract with Liverpool, the Liverpool Echo reports.

The Echo also reported that Suarez has already agreed to personal terms for a five-year contract with the Catalan club. There was talk that Barcelona was going to send Alexis Sanchez and a reduced cash amount to Liverpool, but Sanchez has now been taken out of the deal and replaced with an all-cash offer. Suarez is suspended from all football activities until late October for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup, but FIFA already announced that the ban would not prohibit a transfer. Suarez will remarkably leave Liverpool after tying the 38-game single-season Premier League scoring record with 31 goals.

Suarez was banned Thursday from participating for Uruguay for nine games and was barred from any football-related activities for four months after he bit an Italian opponent in Tuesday's match, the Associated Press reports.

Suarez helped propel Uruguay to the Round of 16 with a dazzling two-goal performance in the team's second match against England, but his absence for the rest of the World Cup could make it difficult for the team to advance much further. The striker's lengthy history of disciplinary problems -- including separate incidents of alleged biting -- undoubtedly had a heavy influence in FIFA's decision to exact the hefty punishment.

FIFA announced Wednesday that they will investigate whether or not Suarez bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's World Cup match against Italy on Tuesday, ESPN FC reports.

Uruguay plays Colombia on Saturday in the round of 16, so a decision by FIFA will likely have to come quickly regarding the bite. Whether or not Suarez did actually bit Chiellini, there was clearly some kind of malicious intent. Suarez has already been banned twice in his career for biting opponents, which will surely play a part in FIFA's penalty determination.

Suarez appeared to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's World Cup match on Tuesday, ESPN FC reports.

There was no conclusive video angle that showed Suarez biting Chiellini, but he was clearly putting his head into Chiellini in response to a high elbow. If he didn't bite him, he at least went in for a head butt before Chiellini rose his arm, which may have caught Suarez's mouth. FIFA will have to act quickly in determining whether Suarez is worthy of a suspension for at least the next round of the World Cup, as Uruguay defeated Italy 1-0 to clinch the last spot in the knockout round from Group D behind Costa Rica.

Suarez scored both goals for Uruguay in their 2-1 win over England in the World Cup on Thursday.

Suarez did not play in Uruguay's opening match against Costa Rica due to a knee injury, but he was deemed fit to face many of his teammates Thursday. It was a remarkable performance given he hasn't played since Liverpool's season ended, but he showed Thursday that even at less than 100 percent, he is one of the best goal-scorers in the world.

Suarez (knee) is in the starting XI for Uruguay's World Cup match against England on Thursday.

Suarez missed Uruguay's opener against Costa Rica due to a lack of match fitness following surgery in May to correct a torn meniscus. It's been awhile since he's played a competitive match, but he will at least start Thursday up front with Edinson Cavani in a must-win game for their chances at the knockout stage.

Suarez, who continues to recover from surgery to repair a torn meniscus, was an unused substitute in Uruguay's surprising 1-3 loss to Costa Rica in their World Cup opener on Saturday.

Despite the shocking result, Suarez was never called upon to try to get Uruguay back in the match. He is expected to play Thursday against England, although it's been awhile since he's played and been fit, so it's tough to expect a dominant performance. If Uruguay lose to England, which would almost certainly knock them out of contention for the second round, he may well sit against Italy on June 24.