Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel revealed he is such a fan of Luis Suarez that he tried to sign the Uruguayan for Paris Saint-Germain before he made the move from Barcelona to Atletico Madrid in September. And Atletico coach Diego Simeone admitted on Monday that Suarez could be key to his side's hopes of beating Chelsea in the Champions League last 16. Seven games into his reign as Chelsea manager, Tuchel remains unbeaten, with the Londoners fifth in the Premier League and into the FA Cup quarter-finals. However, the German is aware he faces his biggest challenge yet against an Atletico side with bags of experience in knockout Champions League ties under Simeone. "This is for sure a big test -- sporting, mentally and physically," Tuchel said on Monday. "This is a very experienced club at this level, a very experienced and tough coach to play against. "It's clear when you play against Atletico what you get. You get hard fighting and there are many teams who have experienced this." Atletico's style has evolved this season, though, to accomodate a range of attacking options including Suarez, Joao Felix and Marcos Llorente.

Top-scorer

 Suarez is La Liga's joint top goalscorer alongside former teammate and close friend Lionel Messi, suggesting that Barcelona's desire to offload the 34-year-old was hasty. Tuchel, then PSG boss, was keen to reunite Suarez with another departed Barca superstar -- Neymar -- to form a frightening front three also featuring Kylian Mbappe. "There was a possibility," Tuchel said. "We heard the rumours he was about to leave Barcelona and who cannot be interested to sign one of the best strikers in world football, in history and the present? "We tried our luck. We did not make it, he chose to stay in Spain with Atletico and again he proves his quality. "He is a natural-born striker. He has the certain mentality that only strikers have. This mentality to show his will, intensity and anger to score and score and score and is never satisfied. "What a mentality! What a player!" Simeone said on Monday that Suarez has given Atletico belief.