[chrysostom]

Suarez probably won't be done until Arsenal secure their qualification to the Champions League - and even then, he can't play until the window shuts, so if that one does happen it'll likely be deadline day.

Daniel Levy just needs to take the world record fee for a player worth less than half of that. He's so used to negotiating stupid compensation for his players that he's gone into meltdown.

I wish Arsenal would just sign someone. Anyone. Even cheap/young/loan players. If we want a squad which is capable of playing ~55 games, then we really need at least 3 signings of average quality and one good/great player. Otherwise we'll likely remain inconsistent and pull off a couple of excellent performances throughout the course of a disappointing season.

[chrysostom]

I think he would be a great fit for your team, but you'd need to ship Torres or Ba.

In my opinion, you need to shift both to accommodate Lukaku in a second choice role!

[The Deadly]

I think Lukaku would score a shit load for Chelsea if he was first choice striker. Not sure they need Rooney or any other player really. They are my tip for the top next season.

[Yudster]

AND - normal service is resumed.

[Bruvva]

AND - normal service is resumed.

*checks results* Ouch. It's a mickey mouse competition anyway.

In Suarez news, my opinion has gone from resigned indifference to "* off then". Don't sign a new contract if you only intend to see out one year, bellend. Liverpool's army of fey attacking midfielders will obtain 7th without him. Either that or they'll all sit around discussing poetry, taking laudanum as Stoke bully their way through midfield. As a collective, they have a pre-Raphaelite air about them.

[Yudster]

My impression is that ManU fans are feeling the same way about Rooney. Just go and get it over.

Mr Yudster has a work colleague at his new job whose brother is one of the directors of Liverpool and his information is that under no circumstances will Liverpool sell Suarez to Arsenal, or any other Premiership club though. They'd happily let him go overseas, but no-one is asking for him. I would expect that is the same situation facing United with Rooney.

[The Deadly]

They'll sell Suarez to Arsenal if the money is right. It makes no sense for them to keep him around the club any longer as his attitude will have a negative effect on the the squad. Yes they can isolate him and make him play in the reserves etc but that does nothing for anyone. Liverpool have the choice at the moment to have a £50million reserve team player or sell him and massively improve their squad. I know what I'd do but Liverpool are too proud for their own good and will likely hold on to Suarez just to prove a point whilst blaming everyone else but themselves for him wanting to leave.

[chrysostom]

Funny that when Van Persie left to United it was a symbol of how far Arsenal have fallen in terms of stature, and it was a natural career move for a player who needs to be playing at a better level - despite having 1 great season out of 8.

With Suarez, the media message is all about staying loyal.

[chrysostom]

This is the problem, Liverpool still have this delusion that they're a 'big club' in footballing terms. I know they've won lots of trophies, and they've done extremely well in the past - but the fact is, they haven't been in the Champion's league for the last 2 (going into 3) seasons, and when they were, they went out of the group stages.

Of course they are a club with lots of history and a huge fanbase - but over the last 3/4 seasons, they have been average. I know that Arsenal have also been average for the last few seasons too but Arsenal have finished 3rd or 4th for the last few years - Liverpool have finished between 6th and 8th. That's quite a gap.

Arsenal are a much more attractive option for Suarez because of the immediate potential within the squad, but everyone knows that if he plays well for us for 2 seasons and doesn't win anything - he'll be off. I think now that Higuain has gone to Napoli, Suarez is by far the most talented footballer that Arsenal are able to attract right now - and as such, he is the best addition possible to our team. Frankly, I'm surprised that he's interested in joining us as we haven't been pulling up trees in the league, and haven't made it far in the CL for 3 years (albeit we were knocked out by AC Milan, Barca and Bayern, but hey - that's the level you're at in the Champion's league!)

I also think that he has been indulged at Liverpool by Dalglish, Rodgers and the board - he's been told that he can do no wrong, because Liverpool knew that if they disciplined him properly that he'd leave them there and then, and quite frankly Liverpool are unable to replace him with a player of similar ability (not a slight on LFC, just an observation that players of Suarez' current ability don't tend to move outside the Champion's league). Perhaps Arsené can calm him down, or at least give him the protection of silence over his antics ("I didn't see it") rather than defending the indefensible.

This is all a lot uglier than it needs to be, and I'm glad we don't have Arsenal players or Arsené coming out in the press making things more messy. This is between LFC and Suarez, and I hope we get him at the end of it to get a few good seasons out of him. We will either be used as a stepping stone for him, or he'll bring us success.

[The Deadly]

They should bring Dalglesh back. He provided so much unintentional comedy!

[Bruvva]

Well, reading what Henry's now saying and after Gordon Taylor has said that Liverpool don't HAVE to sell, I'll be very surprised if Suarez ends up at Arsenal now. Not unless they up the bid considerably. Plus they should be done for tapping him up in all honesty, SOMEBODY told them about this 40 million clause. So to say Arsenal are innocent bystanders in this is disingenuous.

I'd be tempted to let Suarez rot in the reserves for a season and take a hit on the transfer fee in all honesty bearing in mind that Liverpool don't have to sell at that price.

Meanwhile, this is amusing me

[The Deadly]

He could break his contract if he has to. It's a long process and would involve tedious court appearances. Liverpool are once again demonstrating that they are completely inept at dealing with modern day football problems and are a complete laughing stock. £40 million is a great offer for a player with his track record and the club should stop being so proud and just sell. Idiot owner, idiot board members and a completely overrated and average manager.

[chrysostom]

A Liverpool fan accusing another club of tapping up?

How quick you forget - wasn't it just last summer when Liverpool's parent company's news channel announced the signing of Clint Dempsey - before you had even been given permission to talk to him?!

[Bruvva]

Hey, ALL clubs are at it (Ziege is a more pertinent example for Liverpool than Dempsey), I was just raising an eyebrow at your "This is between LFC and Suarez" line. Don't try and portray Arsenal as innocent in this, cos they ain't.

And yes, Deadly, Suarez might be able to extricate himself from the contract via the court but that's more than likely going to take longer than there is time left before this summer's transfer window shuts.

If Arsenal come back with a bigger offer than we'll see movement, but the 40 million and 1 quid fee won't swing it at the moment. From what I've read I think the Liverpool owners are a bit miffed with it all and are unwilling to sell a star player to a team in a position they see as an obtainable target for the club (which is not a vision I share in all honesty).

*edit* Sorry, that should be "before this summer's transfer window SLAMS shut"

[The Deadly]

The problem with Suarez getting out of his contract via the court system is that while it will take an age to complete by the end of it any potential club signing Suarez will have to pay a fraction of the £40 million currently on offer if anything at all. Liverpool could buy two or three good players or one world class player for that money and players who want to play for the club too. For me it's a situation where you have to cut your losses.
Arsenal did it the right way with Van Persie. The only mistake they made is not spending the money wisely.

[chrysostom]

I'd assume that if Suarez had his contract terminated without the need to pay compensation in order to buy it out, that any team signing him would be ordered by the CAS (upon Liverpool's appeal) to pay sufficient compensation up to market value (according to Brendan Rogers, £55m, ahem).

In that claim they could reasonably require compensation for the cost of replacing the player, wages paid to the player during periods of dispute, and recent benefits which the player has received from the club. Which would likely mean that Suarez himself, and any potential club signing him would have to pay through the nose.

Basically, it's extremely unlikely that he'll be terminating his contract.

[The Deadly]

Arsenal could solve the problem by paying £55million. If it helps I'll chip in just to stop the constant recycled stories and endless speculation.

[Yudster]

They'll sell Suarez to Arsenal if the money is right.........

Well I think so too, but given how unequivocal this bloke in Mr Yudster's office was about it I'll be very interested to know what will eventually happen. If it was just a fan or whatever I'd dismiss it as speculation, but he genuinely is the brother of a Liverpool director, and had it from the horse's mouth.

I'm sure Liverpool would much rather sell him abroad, of course they don't want him elsewhere in the Premiership but the fact is no-one from abroad has shown the remotest interest in signing him, and he clearly wants to go so there's no point keeping him. Personally I reckon the board of directors will say all the right things until he actually goes to Arsenal, at which point they'll splutter and mumble and that will be the end of it.

[Bonanzoid]

I'm trying to avoid moaning about the Suarez situation, because I could. Instead I was just tortured through a very gutting end to St. Johnstone's European campaign. Waaahhhh.

[chrysostom]

John Henry has come out saying they won't sell to anyone. Affirms the delusions of grandeur that LFC have.

[The Deadly]

As a self confessed Liverpool hater I am enjoying the clubs ridiculous attitude. To put the icing on the cake Arsenal should spend their £40 million on a different player and watch Suarez implode in the reserve team games. Imagine what he'll be like with the cameras off?

[Bruvva]

John Henry has come out saying they won't sell to anyone. Affirms the delusions of grandeur that LFC have.

How on earth does not wanting to sell a player do that?

In all honesty, your bleating just makes you sound like the usual cosseted Arsenal fan - "waaaah, they don't want to sell - DON'T THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE? We often get to the knock out stages of Europe, that makes us a big club."

[The Deadly]

Arsenal are a much bigger club than Liverpool will ever be again. Your club is run by deluded morons who still believe Liverpool are a successful club. Liverpool FC are stuck in the mid 80's in terms of their approach to transfers, dealing with problem players and media relations. Most of the people at the club are a huge PR disaster and I'm not joking when I say the country is laughing at the club. I'm not trying to be deliberately provocative I'm just stating facts. Of course as a Liverpool fan you won't accept anything I say and will bring up all the tragedies that have happened to the club over the years in some sort of attempt to excuse the club from modernising and the poor attitude that the club and their supporters have.

[Bruvva]

*shrugs*

You know what, I wouldn't actually disagree with most of what you said there but why you evidently care so much is a bit of a mystery.

[Yudster]

I have to say, the statement I heard said that Liverpool bosses said that the idea of selling Suarez to any club that would be playing in the Champions League was ridiculous. Why? What possible difference is who is or isn't playing in Champions League going to make to Liverpool?

I still reckon if they get an offer - possibly ANY offer - from a club abroad that Suarez would agree to go to they'd sell him. I can understand why they don't want him to go elsewhere in the Premiership though.