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Jakarta — Liverpool’s star striker Luis Suarez is not for sale, manager Brendan Rodgers said yesterday, after the club reportedly turned down a 30 million pound ($45 million) offer from Arsenal. Suarez, 26, has three years left on his contract with Liverpool, and the controversial Uruguayan will spend the first six games of the next season on the bench for biting.
Nonetheless, Arsenal and Real Madrid are believed to have made bids for the striker, whose floor price is set at 40 million by Liverpool.
“We had an offer that came to the club, but it was nowhere near the value and worth of what we feel that Luis brings,” Rodgers told reporters, without confirming who made the deal.
“There’s been a lot of speculation over the summer with regard to Luis moving to all different clubs. But in this moment in time, he’s very much a Liverpool player,” Rodgers said in the Indonesian capital Jakarta ahead of a weekend friendly.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, also in Jakarta for a friendly last week that ended in a 7-0 victory for his team, was tight-lipped when asked about a bid for Suarez, but said he hoped “to be in a position where we can answer this question”.
Last month Suarez, who was banned for racist abuse in 2011, admitted it would be difficult to turn down an offer from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
British media has reported a recent offer of 25 million pound by the Spanish club.
“He’s very much a Liverpool player, unless something drastic happens that would make us even consider it. As I see him, Suarez has three years left on his contract,” Rodgers said, naming the player “one of the top strikers in world football”.
He refused to comment on speculation that the Reds were eyeing Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney for transfer.
Losing Suarez would be a blow to the team and Rodgers, who has vowed to revamp the squad and qualify for the Champions League, which it failed to do last term.
“The great name of Liverpool as a club and the history of the club dictates we should be in (the Champions League),” Rodgers said.
“There’s no other measure for us. The challenge is very, very difficult because of the competitors now in England. There are so many more teams with other finances,” he said.
“But for us, we have to continue to fight and I believe we can put up a great fight this year.”
Liverpool will play an Indonesian all-star team tomorrow in an exhibition match.
Meanwhile in case anybody had not quite got the message yet, a succession of well-briefed former Manchester United players lined up in Sydney yesterday to firmly reiterate the English champions would not be selling Wayne Rooney.
United’s Premier League rivals Chelsea said on Wednesday they had been rebuffed after making a cash bid for the unsettled England striker, who returned early from the Asia-Pacific tour to have treatment on a hamstring injury.
Manager David Moyes avoided the question altogether in a scripted Q&A at a lunch in the city and it was left to former players Bryan Robson, Denis Irwin and Dwight Yorke – dressed in club blazers and ties – to trot out the party line.
“David Moyes has said Wayne Rooney isn’t for sale and as far as we’re concerned that’s the end of it,” former England and United captain Robson told reporters.
“I don’t think its been a disruption to the squad, they’re getting on with training,” he added.
“Unfortunately Wayne got the hamstring strain … but it hasn’t been a distraction for the other boys.”
English media reports said Rooney was ‘angry and confused’ after Moyes, who replaced Alex Ferguson at the end of last season, suggested last weekend he would be second choice behind Dutchman Robin van Persie next season.
Rooney joined United for 27 million pounds ($40.83 million) in August 2004 and has since made 402 appearances for the club, scoring 197 goals and winning five league titles and the Champions League.
The 27-year-old has two years left of a contract that earns him a basic salary of around 250 000 pounds ($378 100) a week.
Former fullback Irwin, who played at United for more than a decade under Ferguson, repeated Robson’s line almost word-for-word before adding that, personally, he would like Rooney to stay at the club.
“He’s a fantastic player, he’s scored a rack of goals for us so, yeah,” the Irishman said.
Former United striker Yorke prefaced his comments by saying he was happy to talk about “anything else but Rooney” but did say Moyes would have to put his own stamp on the squad, even if it meant dispensing with crowd favourites.
“When a manager comes into a tough job like Manchester United, he has to make tough decisions,” he said.
“David Moyes will have to do it his way and us as players, ex-players and supporters just have to trust him. That’s why he’s in that position.”
The trio, speaking as club ambassadors ahead of Saturday’s match against an A-League All Star XI in Sydney, were equally united in welcoming the prospect of Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas moving to Old Trafford.
United vice chairperson Ed Woodward has returned to Europe and the British media have linked his premature departure from the tour to United’s bid to wrest the former Arsenal player away from Barcelona.
“I think Fabregas is a fantastic player and I hope he’s playing for Manchester United next season,” Robson said. “I hope Ed is successful, if that’s what he’s gone back to England to do.”– Sport24
Online Reporter