Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Have To Increase Offer For Luis Suarez

by Joseph Dempsey

BBC. Liverpool have rejected two bids from Arsenal for the Uruguayan, including a Gunner's club-record £40 million plus £1 offer, but Suarez wants to talk with the North Londoners. Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo:

"If Arsenal want the player they have to produce the value for the player. "There was an offer a few weeks ago of £35m and two weeks later it is now £40m and £1. I don't think it is anywhere near the value of what he is worth. "It is two-fold really. A player may want to go, but then somebody has to pay the value or worth of that player."
Suarez made his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt yesterday since the infamous Branislav Ivanovic biting incident, coming off the bench during the club's 2-0 win over Melbourne Victory at the MCG. The 26-year-old had an almost instant impact, setting up new signing Iago Aspas for the winner. After the game, Rodgers declared there was no new news to report on Suarez's future but wanted to remind the player of the "debt" he feels he owes the Liverpool fans, who have stood by him for two highly-controversial seasons.
"The support he has received from the supporters and the people of the city of Liverpool has been unrivalled. "In this period of time he's missed a lot of games for the club through various reasons. The people have stood by him like a son and really looked after him. Whatever happens in the coming weeks that will be in his mind because it's something you can never forget."
While Liverpool remain fiercely determined to keep hold of Suarez, their resolve could be significantly put to the test should Arsenal continue increasing their offers. Should the Gunners persist and have a bid accepted, it would more than double their previous highest outlay on a transfer. The Gunner's club-record-transfer fee remains the £17.5 million they paid Sevilla for Jose Antonio Reyes in 2004. Suarez wants to leave Anfield to play for a Champions League club despite only signing a new long term deal on Merseyside last year.

Contributor
Contributor

Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.