{"id":1097130,"date":"2019-07-06T10:32:47","date_gmt":"2019-07-06T09:32:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1097130"},"modified":"2019-07-06T10:32:47","modified_gmt":"2019-07-06T09:32:47","slug":"arsenal-bid-luis-suarez-liverpool","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/arsenal-bid-luis-suarez-liverpool\/","title":{"rendered":"The story behind Arsenal’s infamous bid to buy Luis Suarez from Liverpool"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Arsenal transfer negotiator Dick Law has revealed the truth about the Gunners’ attempts to sign Luis Suarez from Liverpool in 2013.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Liverpool made public the \u00a340m+1 offer that Arsenal made but as Law explains, it was not quite so clear cut.<\/p>\n

Were Arsenal close to signing Luis Suarez? Five key things to know\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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  1. Liverpool signed Suarez from Ajax for \u00a322.8m in 2011.<\/li>\n
  2. He bagged 82 goals during his time with the Reds.<\/li>\n
  3. A clause in his contract meant he had to be informed if anyone offered more than \u00a340m for him.<\/li>\n
  4. Arsenal made a bid of \u00a340m plus \u00a31 in 2013 which angered Liverpool.<\/li>\n
  5. Suarez was sold to Barcelona a year later for \u00a375m.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7304751-lampard-s-chelsea-midfield-set-up-will-be-inspired-by-his-ancelotti-days<\/p>\n

    When Liverpool signed Luis Suarez from Ajax, the player had a clause in his contract which meant he had to be informed if any suitors made a bid of \u00a340 million or more for him. This clause was not a release clause but just a point at which Suarez had to be told of the interest.<\/p>\n

    In the spring of 2013 it became known that Suarez wanted to leave Anfield and Arsenal were aware of this clause but Law has revealed the Gunners’ offer was only supposed to be a starting point for discussions.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThat spring, news got round to us that Suarez wanted out of Liverpool,\u201d he told Goal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe got information that showed us what was negotiated between Liverpool and the player, and in our internal conversations decided that the clause was meaningless, that it was not a buy-out and it didn\u2019t obligate Liverpool to do anything apart from have a conversation.<\/p>\n

    \u201cSo, whoever agreed to that clause in the Suarez camp was being less than clever because it was never a buy-out. What there was, was an obligation to discuss a transfer if a threshold was met and that threshold was \u00a340m.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>

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    Law added: \u201cNow, we didn\u2019t know if Liverpool received an offer of \u00a340m whether they would say, ‘that\u2019s not more than \u00a340m’. We could have gone with \u00a345m, but the point is we knew there was never a buy-out.<\/p>\n

    \u201cSo, it was never going to be a bid of \u00a340m+1, it was always going to be the start of a negotiation.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The offer was not received well by Liverpool owner, John Henry, who famously responded with the line: \u201cWhat do you think they’re smoking over there at Emirates?\u201d<\/p>\n

    Suarez did, in fact, try and force a move to North London but the nature of Arsenal\u2019s offer appeared to make the Reds ownership even more determined to keep hold of the Uruguayan.<\/p>\n