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Recent English publications have broken a story about Luis Suarez and his discontent at Liverpool. He claims that there was an agreement both written and verbal that would allow him to go to a Champions League side if they were to lodge a bid of over £40 million.
With a statement as public as this, it would be hard to imagine the Uruguayan playing for Liverpool next season, and a move to another club, mainly Arsenal, looks to be in the near future.
“Last year I had the opportunity to move to a big European club, and I stayed on the understanding that if we failed to qualify for the Champions League the following season, I’d be allowed to go. I gave absolutely everything last season, but it was not enough to give us a top-four finish — now all I want is for Liverpool to honor our agreement.”
Suarez claims that he has shown loyalty to the side and that he deserves the opportunity to move on. That might strike some as ironic considering the way Liverpool stood by his side through all of his problems while at Anfield.
The state of soccer is one where there doesn’t seem to be any real loyalty among the players anymore. Suarez sees his chance to get out of dodge, and will go as far as submitting a transfer request and taking the matter to the Premier League with the backing of the PFA. This would be a big loss for Liverpool if he does end up leaving, but it could benefit another club that is so used to having their best players leave.
Arsenal has seen some great players leave in the last couple of seasons in similar fashion to the Suarez saga. It seems fitting, although unlikely, that the club would be on the other end of this type of drama. They need a world-class striker, and Suarez seems to fit the bill.
Many Arsenal fans seem to think that it is a done deal, but I am a bit more skeptical. Although I do believe that he will not play at Liverpool next season, there could be other suitors for Suarez. Arsenal must make sure they jump on the opportunity quickly and not get caught up on the cost.
This transfer window story has been one of the biggest of the summer, and it seems likely to drag on at least until the beginning of the season. Don’t forget that Suarez still has to carry out the remaining six games of a 10-game ban handed to him for biting Branislav Ivanovic close to the end of last season.
The forward definitely comes with baggage, and whatever team he ends up on will have to deal with that. Liverpool is doing everything they can to keep him, baggage and all, but it seems like the writing is on the wall.
The public proclamation of his displeasure with the club’s handling of the current situation will likely end up being the tipping point, and I would expect to see a formal transfer request by Suarez in the coming days. By using the media to express his feelings rather than keeping it a private matter, Suarez has shown that he is ready for a conclusion to the saga.
This will be Liverpool’s loss and possibly Arsenal’s gain, but with Arsenal and transfers, nothing is ever certain.
James Roeling is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesRoeling, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
