Luis Suárez

[Lee]

I can't believe he'll move there. I can't believe his advisers would encourage him to leave us for Arsenal. They're living in cloud cuckoo land.

I could understand him moving to Madrid, Barca or Bayern. Heck, even Chelsea, City or United.

But Arsenal.

I'd be utterly shocked.

[Shaggy]

I'm surprised City aren't in for him.

[el matador]

I wouldn't. He's desperate to leave as Torres was.

These types of transfers never work out. Just ask Fernando.

[Fredo]

I'm surprised City aren't in for him.

They've splashed a lot of money elsewhere haven't they? I can't see them forking out a further £50m or so.

[Chazza]

Arsenal bid £40m plus £1 for Luis Suárez to activate talks
• Striker allowed to talk to Arsenal after club-record offer
• Angry Liverpool say Luis Suárez worth £55m

Arsenal have reinforced their determination to sign Luis Suárez with a club-record bid of £40m plus £1 for the Liverpool striker. The offer was rejected out of hand by Liverpool but they will allow Suárez to open talks over a sensational move to the Emirates Stadium, if he so desires.

Liverpool were angered by Arsenal's second bid for the 26-year-old when it arrived on Tuesday and remain adamant it will not trigger the release of their prized asset. The Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, was informed by his Anfield counterpart, Ian Ayre, that Liverpool would not consider a sum of £40m for Suárez when he lodged an opening offer of £30m plus £5m in add-ons.

But that has not deterred Arsenal from returning, a fortnight later, with an offer that activates a clause in Suárez's contract by one pound. Under the terms of a contract signed in August, Liverpool must inform last season's leading goalscorer of a club's interest once they receive a bid of more than £40m.

Anfield officials were due to fulfil that obligation to the Uruguay international following Liverpool's pre-season friendly against Melbourne Victory . It will then fall to Suárez to decide whether he wishes to speak to Arsenal, having blamed vilification by the British media and the Football Association as the root of his disillusionment in England.

Liverpool are adamant that the £40m clause is not a fixed sale price and that they remain free to negotiate their own transfer fee for Suárez. As reported earlier this summer, Liverpool rate Suárez as a better player than Fernando Torres when he was sold to Chelsea in January 2011 and would demand in excess of the £50m received for the Spain international. Brendan Rodgers confirmed that position last week when he placed Suárez in the same price bracket as Uruguay team-mate Edinson Cavani, who recently joined Paris Saint-Germain from Napoli for £55.6m.

"When you consider that Cavani has gone for £55m you know … Luis is up there in that bracket of top talent," the Liverpool manager said. "Obviously it [Arsenal's first bid] was an offer we didn't deem worthy of the talent and even if they came back with that kind of amount [£55m] there's no guarantee he would be sold even for that because we are trying to build something here."

Rodgers has repeatedly stated that Suárez is not for sale and it would require "something drastic" to alter Liverpool's stance on a player they supported throughout the racism controversy with Patrice Evra and again when he received a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last season. The former Ajax captain has six games left to serve of the Ivanovic suspension next term and his appearance against Melbourne Victory will be his first since April's incident.

Nevertheless, Arsenal's strategic move will apply pressure on Liverpool should Suárez ask to open negotiations with Arsène Wenger and push for Champions League football at the Emirates. Arsenal have evidently been encouraged to believe that £40m-plus is a sale clause and a legal dispute over the wording of Suárez's contract cannot be discounted, having been linked with several transfers this summer without breaking the £15m club-record fee paid for Andrey Arshavin in 2009.

Wenger had hoped to sign Gonzalo Higuaín from Real Madrid but the Argentina international is mulling over a move to Napoli for a fee of around £30m. Higuaín's departure from the Bernabéu would increase the prospect of Real joining the pursuit of Suárez but, despite the Uruguayan professing his admiration for Real on several occasions this summer, Real have made no contact with Liverpool.

Suárez, who received a warm reception from a 15,000 crowd that watched Liverpool train in Melbourne on Tuesday, has three years remaining on his contract and Rodgers has insisted the club will not be dictated to by the player over any transfer.

Napoli are also in negotiations to sign José Reina from Liverpool but the goalkeeper's proposed reunion with Rafael Benítez in Serie A has still to be resolved. The Italian club want the Spain goalkeeper on a season-long loan, while Liverpool are keen to remove the 30-year-old's £110,000-a-week contract from their wage bill but want the option of a permanent deal included. The two clubs have not reached agreement on the split of Reina's wages while, for his part, the popular keeper is contemplating whether to move to Italy before a World Cup season having seen a proposed transfer to Barcelona collapse.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jul/23/arsenal-luis-suarez-liverpool-transfer?CMP=twt_gu

[Lee]

I'm surprised City aren't in for him.

They've splashed a lot of money elsewhere haven't they? I can't see them forking out a further £50m or so.

Yeah but you'd think that he'd be one of their first targets in the window. Go for him and see what poke you have left.

Unless they've enquired and it's true that he won't move to an English club.

[kingfunk]

@Jay82_LFC: Fans are kidding themselves of they think Suarez wants to stay. He desperately wants out & working with his agent to get a move out


This is becoming quite evident.

[poorscousertommy]

We know how Arsenal work. If the spend £40,000,000 on Suarez they will have to sell some decent players.

They won't be adding, they will weaken elsewhere. He could easily end up out of the CL and stuck for the remaining years of his peak.

He stays with us or he goes to RM/BD/Bayern...

I get what you're saying for what they have done in the past years but a lot of the reason for that was paying of the stadium. I would not be surprised if they now have the money to compete.

How do we look if we sell our best player to Arsenal?

With 40mill what could we replace him with that would help us challenge?

It's not just the lack of his quality available its also the hard draw of getting players to join a team who have been on the decline. We can't even offer Europa league football.

[Arn]

I'm surprised City aren't in for him.

IF Arsenal made the £40.000.001 bid and we will be forced to sell him at that price then other clubs will make the same offer IMO.

Real, PSG, Monaco, Bayern, Man C, Chelsea would all try to sign him IMO.

They are just waiting to see how big offer they will be forced to make IMO.

[Exiled_red]

At least they are testing the clause with £40,000,001 rather than £40,000,000.01

[Chazza]

Liverpool reject an improved £40m bid from Arsenal for Luis Suarez
23 Jul 2013 22:29

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis lodges £40,000,001 in the belief it would activate clause in Suarez contract

Liverpool have rejected an improved offer of £40,000,001 from Arsenal for Luis Suarez.

The Gunners stepped up their pursuit of the Reds' top scorer on Tuesday – two weeks after their initial bid of £30million, rising to £35million with add-ons, was shunned.

The size of the new offer, which was submitted by Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis, is significant.

The Londoners were under the belief that any offer in excess of £40million – hence the extra £1 – would trigger a release clause in the contract Suarez signed last August.

However, Liverpool have always insisted that is not the case with club officials only duty bound to inform the striker of bids exceeding that amount rather than having to actually accept that kind of figure.

Boss Brendan Rodgers intends to discuss Arsenal's latest approach with last season's 30-goal top scorer following today's friendly with Melbourne Victory at the MCG.

Arsenal's new offer was instantly dismissed with Liverpool's stance that Suarez is simply not for sale unchanged.

Despite Suarez's public pleas for a transfer this summer, Rodgers has made it clear that he expects the 26-year-old to honour a contract which still has three years to run.

The Reds value the striker in excess of £50million and unless they receive that kind of bid - coupled with a written transfer request – they won't even consider a deal.

Arsene Wenger has made Suarez his top summer transfer target after being frustrated in his attempts to sign Gonzalo Higuain from Real Madrid.

But news of their increased offer being rejected should finally ram home to the Gunners boss that there is no chance of landing Suarez on the cheap.

Suarez had initially claimed he needed to quit England because of his treatment at the hands of the media, but later said he was “flattered” by Arsenal's interest and told Liverpool he wanted to join a Champions League club.

The striker has been training with the Reds since he rejoined the squad in Melbourne on Sunday.

Suarez received a warm ovation from the 15,000-strong crowd who attended yesterday's open training session at the MCG.

His name was chanted by supporters and he has indicated a desire to be involved in today's friendly.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have contacted Valencia to express their interest in signing left-back Aly Cissokho on a season-long loan.

The Spanish outfit are willing to off-load the 25-year-old France international, who joined them from Lyon a year ago.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-reject-improved-40m-bid-5271074

[Rowan]

I wouldn't. He's desperate to leave as Torres was.

These types of transfers never work out. Just ask Fernando.

Aye. He must be gutted with his FA Cup, UEFA cup and champions league medals.

I wonder if he would give it up to still be with us. There is a part of me that thinks he would. The difference between being successful and being loved I suppose. The difference for me is that at the minute I feel we're on the rise where as when Torres left I wasn't so confident.

[RichC]

@Jay82_LFC: Fans are kidding themselves of they think Suarez wants to stay. He desperately wants out & working with his agent to get a move out


This is becoming quite evident.

Is it or as per usual are the press stirring up a frenzy for their own ends I.e. £££££££

[Fredo]

The Echo's take on this is a bit more upbeat.

Take that you Goonies. :ricjl:

[Chazza]

Is it or as per usual are the press stirring up a frenzy for their own ends I.e. £££££££

You honestly think there is nothing in this?