They have handled the Suarez situation brilliantly.
It appears they have learnt their lessons from previous transfer windows. And about time too.
The club is in such a powerful position. Suarez only signed a new contract last summer. Liverpool have a price that they value him at. A reasonable price given the amount other players have sold for recently. Any club wishing to purchase him should meet that valuation.
In contrast, Suarez has put himself in an impossible position. He has thrown the support back in the face of everyone at the club by considering a move to Arsenal. Liverpool fans can’t make sense of it because it doesn’t make sense.
So Arsenal are in the Champions League. They haven’t won a trophy since their FA Cup success in May 2005. That’s the same month that Liverpool won the greatest ever Champions League Final. Against one of the greatest ever AC Milan teams. Since then Liverpool have also won the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup, the Charity Shield and the League Cup. That’s five trophies. Not to mention the fact that the club also got to another Champions League final in 2007 and finished 2nd in the Premier League in the 2008/09 season.
OK, the league position hasn’t been good enough for the last few years but if Suarez is moving to further his career Arsenal are the wrong club.
This brings me to the lack of loyalty. No one would argue that he owes the fans, his team mates, the managers and the board some loyalty. It’s hard to imagine people connected with Arsenal or any other club standing by him during the racism and biting events. And even now, despite everything, if Suarez stayed the Liverpool fans would still support him. This says more about them as supporters than him as a man. Sadly his quality as a man doesn’t match his quality as a player. He is a top, top player. One of the best in the world. But no player is bigger than the club. And I worry that keeping him at all costs goes against this. Of course I wouldn’t advocate selling him to a Premier League rival. And I doubt very much that Liverpool will sell Suarez to Arsenal. I imagine he will either stay for another year or go to Real Madrid.
Personally I would like to see him go abroad for the right price and the club replace him with someone who wants to be here. Because as well as he’s played over the last couple of years, he has damaged the club’s image and £50 million buys Liverpool a top striker and midfielder. Whatever happens, that should bring some comfort to Liverpool fans who, even now, can’t bear to see him leave.