'Luis Suarez is not a player we felt we needed' - Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane fuels flames ahead of long awaited debut of Barcelona striker in El Clasico

By Joe Ridge for MailOnline Follow @@JoeRidge87

Published: 06:50 EST, 22 October 2014 | Updated: 11:57 EST, 22 October 2014

Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane has stoked the fire ahead of Saturday's eagerly anticipated El Clasico derby by revealing the club never had any interest in signing Barcelona's Luis Suarez.

Suarez is set to finally make his Barcelona debut at the Bernabeu having served a four-month ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini while playing for Uruguay at this year's World Cup.

Liverpool sold Suarez to Barcelona for £75million in July and although Real were heavily linked with the 27-year-old, Zidane, now a coach at Madrid, insists the club never wanted him.

Zinedine Zidane spoke out ahead of Saturday's El Clasico saying Suarez was not a player Real Madrid wanted 

The Madrid coach also said his team had no contact with Liverpool regarding Suarez in the summer

In a £75million deal Suarez joined Lionel Messi (right) and Neymar (left) to form a fearsome attacking trio

The La Liga giants splashed out on playmaker Toni Kroos and attacker James Rodriguez during the summer

Zidane said: 'There are always reports linking the big players with Real Madrid, but we had no contact with Liverpool regarding Suarez in the summer - he is not a player that we felt we needed.

'When Real Madrid want a player we work very hard to get the transfer done, but it was not a player we wanted.'

Real Madrid splashed the cash this summer to bring in German playmaker Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich and Colombia attacker James Rodriguez from Monaco.

Barcelona are back in training in preparation for El Clasico

Suarez will be making his Barcelona debut in an eagerly anticipated El Clasico derby on Saturday

The Uruguayan received the Golden Shoe award as Europe's top scorer last season from Kenny Dalglish

The former Real Madrid star scored a memorable Champions League final goal against Bayer Leverkusen

And Frenchman Zidane, who spent five years at Real and scored the winning goal in the 2002 Champions League final, says the club are more than happy with the business they did in the summer, despite Suarez joining Lionel Messi and Neymar to form a fearsome attacking trio at Barca.

He added: 'He (Suarez) is obviously a very good player, but it was not a player we feel we needed to add to the squad.

'The players we acquired in the summer were exactly the players we wanted.' 

Luis Suarez: Barcelona debut against Real Madrid would be...

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