An interesting key to the offseason is trying to figure out how to read between the lines of words said by players, managers, agents, and club executives. Luis Suarez keeps talking about Champions League football, praising the clubs interested in him. But on the other hand, Liverpool are still waiting for his transfer request, hoping that this means keeping him for another season isn’t off the table.
What does Luis Suarez want? It’s no longer about escaping the English media, at least from what he’s saying, because otherwise he would have mentioned that leaving to Arsenal is out of the question. However, the gunners haven’t made a sufficient offer, and a quick check up on Arene Wenger’s past teaches us that there’s a good chance he won’t be making the right kind of offer as well.
But an offseason without any reports about him doesn’t mean the press is over Suarez. It just means he hasn’t had the opportunity to do anything to get them back on his case. Playing in the Confederations Cup helped with the staying away part, and being suspended (carrying it onto next season as well) helped calm the usually stormy waters when he’s involved.
At Liverpool, at least on the surface, they’re still hoping that Suarez remains at the club. They have big plans heading into this season, and keeping Suarez, despite the on-field problems he can create, will be a huge boost to the club, as long as he can keep it together. The most important sign? He still hasn’t handed in a transfer request, per Managing Director Ian Arye to Bloomberg.
I don’t think anyone will be against him at this point. He only needs to do what he did last season and everyone will feel he’s in the right place and he should carry on getting the support that he deserves and gets from Liverpool. We’d love to see Luis put on a Liverpool shirt for this season and beyond and we hope that once he gets back things will settle down.
The general idea: Brendan Rodgers does much better during his second season with the club (better than finishing 7th, obviously), and hopefully finds his way into the top 4. But more than that: The new signings, most players who have yet to hit their prime, prove to Suarez that this club is on its way up, and is worth being patient for.
This is an ambitious young player, he’s talked in the media about wanting to play in the Champions League and all these things. It’s our job to convince Luis that this is the right place to achieve those things. I’ve heard him say it would great to have an opportunity to play for Arsenal and likewise Real Madrid. But he certainly hasn’t called me up and said he wants to leave.
It’s hard to see Suarez’ angle here. Liverpool have been with him through thick and thin, and could have chucked him before he had a chance to choose between some of the biggest clubs in the world. He has admitted that playing for Liverpool is quite special. He just wants that special feeling to be with some success and more ambition.
We had an offer which is fairly public from Arsenal. We said no to that offer, and as far as we’re concerned he turns up for training when he’s due back. And we’ll move forward on that basis. We get offers for lots of our players at different times.
Unless we get to a situation where that player absolutely doesn’t want to be here and we don’t want him to be here then that’s a different kettle of fish. Right now we’d love to see Luis put on a Liverpool shirt for this season and beyond and we hope that once he gets back things will settle down.