Suarez may be ‘forced’ to leave Liverpool

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has admitted that he would find it difficult to turn down a move to Real Madrid, claiming he was not prepared to put up with the criticism from the press any longer.



Suarez claimed in an interview with Uruguayan radio station sport 890 that the treatment he has received from the press this season has affected his family and may force him to leave the Merseyside club.



The striker also confirmed that he has spoken to Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers, and the manager knows what he wanted.



The 26-year-old will miss the first six games of next season as he serves the remainder of a ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. This is the second lengthy ban he has faced after being forced to miss 8 games after being convicted of racially abusing Patrice Evra.



Speaking to 890 Sport, Suarez said: “I’ve worked hard since childhood to get where I am and I keep getting constant criticism from the English press. It makes me tired. Liverpool want me to stay, but do not know what will happen. It would be difficult to say no to Real Madrid.”



Suarez said Liverpool had treated him well and he had “only words of thanks for the fans”, and added: “So far I have not received any official offer from Madrid.”



He continued: “I have a contract with Liverpool, but it would be very difficult to say no to Real Madrid. There are a lot of rumours in the transfer period, but you never know until firm offers are made.”



He added: “I’ve talked to the coach (Rodgers), and he knows what I want. He was a player. Some of the players understand my situation – enough said.”

Rodgers: Suarez happy

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists he expects striker Luis Suarez to be at the club next season.

Rodgers admits the Reds may have to field enquiries about the Uruguay international, but he believes it will take an exceptional offer for Suarez to leave.

"Listen, every player has their price but there's certainly no pressure for the club to sell him. We're trying to build that bit of quality so he's not for sale," Rodgers said.

"I don't have any doubts there will be interest in him this summer, because he's up there.

"There's a small percentage of players who are world class and he's in that bracket, so I don't think it will be too dissimilar to when I first came in last summer, with clubs making their interest known.



"People will want to take him, but I think we all recognise how integral he is. The owners have been absolutely unequivocal in their resolve in terms of wanting to keep him."
-->

Suarez's wife tells him to behave

Luis Suarez's wife has advised the Liverpool striker to improve his behaviour on the pitch in a bid to reflect his character off it.

Suarez is currently serving a 10-match suspension for biting Branislav Ivanovic - and by the end of that term he will have been banned for 20 games since joining Liverpool, without being sent off.



Suarez told Liverpool's official magazine that his wife, Sofia, has told him to behave while playing.

He said: "My wife has made observations like, "You were arguing with the referee and the defenders too much; you didn't really seem up for it; you might as well have not been on the pitch".

"I go away, think about it and realise she was right.

"She said people must go away and think that is what I am like off the pitch, even though I'm usually relaxed and easy-going.

"Having a wife that closely watches the game is good. She knows me better than anyone else and I want her observations to help me play better and be a happier person."

Suarez's wife had previously advised him to shape up in an interview with The Sunday Times - published on the morning of his encounter with Ivanovic.

"She's my biggest critic, she always comes to watch me," he said then.

"She asks what I'm doing, why am I arguing with the referee. 'All you've done today is turn up to shout at people, why don't you concentrate on playing football?'

"If I don't, they [Sofia and his daughter, Delfina] won't come and watch me anymore. These are things my wife has picked up on and so has everyone else, so it has made me think."

Ferguson: Suarez ban nothing compared to Cantona

Sir Alex Ferguson says he empathises with Liverpool over the lengthy ban handed to Luis Suarez, but believes the Uruguayan's ten-match suspension is nothing compared to the nine months Eric Cantona was kept out for following his kung-fu kick on a Crystal Palace fan.



Cantona launched himself at Palace supporter Matthew Simmons in January 1995 after being sent off at Selhurst Park, and was subsequently banned by United until the end of the season.



The Red Devils' decision to oust their talisman widely regarded as the cause of them losing that season's Premier League title to Blackburn and Ferguson then suffered further disappointment when the FA added four more months to Cantona's suspension.



The United boss feels Liverpool made a good choice not to serve up an internal ban first to their own influential No. 7, and admitted the FA's decision to extend Cantona's ban still riles him.

"I bet they are glad they didn't [suspend Suarez themselves],'' Ferguson said. "It didn't work for us. [Then FA chairman] David Davies promised us if we did it there would be no more action taken.



"Think about that. A nine-month ban. It is quite incredible. I still can't get my head round it."

Alex Ferguson backs Liverpool actions

Sir Alex Ferguson feels Liverpool made the right decision in not trying to prevent a hefty ban for Luis Suarez by imposing one of their own.



He added that Manchester United would do the same if they were faced with a similar situation. However, he felt the penalty is far less severe than the one Eric Cantona received from the Football Association following his kung-fu kick on Matthew Simmons at Crystal Palace.



United suspended Cantona for the four months left that season, but FA increased Cantona’s ban to eight months. “I bet they are glad they didn’t (suspend Suarez themselves). It didn’t work for us,” Ferguson said.

“David Davies promised us if we did it there would be no more action taken. Think about that. A nine-month ban. It is quite incredible. I still can’t get my head round it.”

FA Reveals Reasoning Behind Suarez' 10 Game Ban

Sky Sports has reported on the FA’s news for the reasons they chose to ban Liverpool striker Luis Suarez for 10 games.



Suarez allegedly bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during the two clubs’ recent match, and the incident has reached much mainstream media attention, especially considering the 26-year-old is also in the midst of controversy having punched an opposing player during a recent international game for Uruguay.



The FA announced that they did not look at most incidents which had been cited as setting precedents, namely the likes of Callum McManaman’s horrific challenge on Newcastle’s Massadio Haidara, which they claimed was left out of their ruling as “the act of competing for the ball is part of the game.”



The 21-page report also explicitly states that many others were not taken into consideration, citing Ben Thatcher’s act of serious foul play in 2006 as an example.



The report says: “We were mindful that, in a game of football, the coming together of opposing players and physical bodily contacts in challenging for the ball is part of the game - albeit some of the challenges, regrettably, could lead to more serious injuries.”



They appear to have used an occurrence in March, when Brighton’s Ashley Barnes tripped the referee and was punished with a six game ban, as the precedent of choice, continuing: “We concluded that this offence is significantly more serious than that of Ashley Barnes' and, accordingly, the punishment should be significantly higher.



“The participants in a game of football do not expect to be bitten by another participant when they come to play football.



“In this incident, Mr Ivanovic would not, and should not, have been expected to be subject to such a shocking and reprehensible action.



“It seemed to us that Mr Suarez had not fully appreciated the gravity and seriousness of this truly exceptional incident.”



That latter claim is in reference to a statement from both Suarez and Liverpool that a three game ban would likely prove sufficient, leading the FA to believe that he took the incident too lightly.



Suarez did follow up the ruling with an official statement of his own yesterday, read Simon Wright’s article here for more information on the player’s response.

PM clarifies Suarez comments

Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted the 10-match suspension given to Liverpool striker Luis Suarez for biting is an FA matter in the wake of his observations on the subject.



Reds manager Brendan Rodgers felt comments made by the FA and Cameron had affected the impartiality of the independent panel hearing the case against the Uruguayan.



But the Prime Minister has moved to clarify his observation that "I think it would be very understandable if (the panel) took into account the fact that high-profile players are often role models" by claiming he was only speaking as a concerned father.

"I made my own views clear just as a dad watching the game," he said.



"I've got a seven-year-old son who just loves watching football and when players behave like this it just sets the most appalling example to young people in our country."



Pressed on whether a 10-match ban was appropriate on this occasion, he added: "That's up to the FA, it's not my decision.

"The FA make the decision, they're entirely independent and that is the way it should work.



"I'm going to leave it entirely to the FA. But if you're asking me as a dad and as a human being, do I think we should have tough penalties when players behave like this, yes I think we should.



"There are people, I've read in some newspapers, who think somehow this isn't serious. I think it is serious, when we're trying to bring up our children properly, they do see football players as role models.



"Bringing up children is one of the toughest things we do but you can't wrap them in cotton wool and hide them away from the world, they do see these real-life examples and they repeat them back to you."

Suarez appeal decision due

Liverpool will decide on Friday morning whether or not to appeal against Luis Suarez's 10-match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic.



The club received the written reasons for the length of the suspension around 6pm on Thursday - and now have until noon to contest the punishment.

Speaking before Anfield chiefs received the independent regulatory commission's judgement, manager Brendan Rodgers spoke emotively in defence of his striker at a press conference.

Rodgers accused the FA's panel of being biased against the Uruguay international and "throwing him to the garbage".

He also admitted he would understand if his top scorer decided to quit English football.

"This is a guy who I see on a daily basis trying very hard," Rodgers, who is unlikely to face FA action over his comments, said.

"(His volatility) is part of his make-up but I genuinely think he is trying to adapt those traits.



"Each time he makes a step forward we find ways to beat him with a stick and beat him down. I can understand if he felt like that in a moment of reflection."


-->

Pepe Reina slams Luis Suarez ban

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina has criticised Luis Suarez's 10-match ban for biting as "absurd, out of proportion and unfair".



The Uruguay international was handed the punishment yesterday after an independent panel decided the incident involving Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic warranted additional punishment above the statutory three-game suspension for violent conduct.



Liverpool are awaiting the detailed written report before deciding whether to appeal - they have until midday tomorrow to do so.



But fears have already been raised that Suarez, who served a seven-match ban for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal in November 2010 immediately before his move from Ajax to Anfield, could quit England in the summer as a result of the ban.



"I consider myself a friend of Luis. He is being treated differently, I don't know if it's because he's Uruguayan or because he's had a previous episode like this...," Reina told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.



"He knows full well that what he did was wrong but a 10-game ban seems to me absurd, out of proportion and unfair.



"It seems that the people making the decisions have got it in for Luis a little bit. That's the way I see it.



"I am not justifying what he did but the punishment is very disproportionate.



"He knows he was in the wrong, he knows he has made a mistake but the treatment is completely out of place.



"Those who know Luis know that he is the complete opposite (off the pitch), he is a magnificent person and great team-mate.



"But because of the way he plays, he is aggressive and very competitive, he plays like a street player and sometimes the way he is gets him into trouble."



Reina also described sections of the English media of being sensationalist and "very very very very hypocritical".



Asked if he felt there was xenophobia in England, Reina said: "There is hypocrisy, I don't know if it's so much xenophobia, but a different yardstick is used.



"Some players are treated differently to others.



The ban, pending any successful appeal, means Suarez will not be available for Liverpool until September.



But having accepted he was wrong to bite Ivanovic there is a suggestion Suarez is unhappy by what he perceives harsh treatment and that may have a bearing on his future.



Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre has stressed they have no intention of selling the 26-year-old, who signed a new four-year contract last summer, but that may not be enough to persuade the striker to remain in England - especially with clubs like Bayern Munich and Juventus interested in him.



"Right now he is a Liverpool player," said Reina.



"He is having a bad time of it and so is his family. He is certainly good enough to fit into any team in the world."

Carragher backs Suarez

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool are doing the right thing in backing Luis Suarez and the defender claims he would rather be bitten than suffer a broken leg.



Suarez is on Wednesday set to find out the length of the ban he will receive from the Football Association for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic at the weekend.

The Uruguayan pleaded guilty to violent conduct and could be facing a lengthy suspension but Liverpool have stood by their man and ignored some calls to show him the Anfield exit.

And Carragher cited examples - including himself, Graeme Souness, Robbie Fowler and Jan Molby - of players who Liverpool had backed to their benefit following misdemeanours.

"The way things are now being pitched is that Liverpool have got to do something about the rotten apple in their midst," he said in the Daily Mail.

"It is as if Luis is the only player to have represented Liverpool who has ever been embroiled in controversy. That simply isn't the case."

He added: "Every one of the players I mention regretted what happened and Luis is the same. More importantly, the club stood by every one of them."

Carragher also attempted to put the incident into perspective, saying it was not as bad as leg-breaking tackle.

"The bite was shocking, no question, and everyone who has seen it was amazed," he said. "Yet was it worse than a challenge that could end someone's career?

"I know what it is like to have your leg broken by a reckless tackle. Lucas Neill cost me six months of my career in September 2003 when he played for Blackburn. Would I have preferred to have been bitten? Absolutely.

"I suspect that Branislav Ivanovic, who has conducted himself with great credit in the aftermath, would agree."


-->

Bakkal: Suarez out of control

Liverpool's Luis Suarez is out of control on the pitch, reckons the player he bit three years ago.



Suarez was banned for seven games and branded the 'Cannibal of Ajax' after sinking his teeth into then-PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal.

Bakkal, who now plays for Dynamo Moscow, says he was shocked to see the Uruguay international repeat the offence on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during Sunday's 2-2 draw.

"I saw it and it was unbelievable," Bakkal told The Sun. "It's something you can never imagine happening on a pitch.

"It happened once already. At first I thought maybe it was an accident but, apparently, he loses it sometimes. I don't know what to say.

"I thought he meant it when he said sorry. I think he wants to win so badly that he loses his mind sometimes but afterwards he comes to his senses.

"It doesn't belong on the pitch. It was the end of him in Holland. Now we just have to wait and see what the FA does - and then what his future will be in England."

Suarez has been charged by the FA with violent conduct but faces a lengthy ban after the governing body said the usual three-game suspension was "clearly insufficient".

-->

Suarez's desire to stay for another four years

By Jonathan Northcroft

"Player of the year? I'm not even sure I'd vote for me"

Love or loathe him, Luis Suarez, the Premier League's leading scorer, can dazzle Anfield with special skills today


I WANT to be honest with Luis Suarez. I was not in his camp last season during the Patrice Evra affair and there are times you look at him on the pitch and think: “Amigo, why?”


But he is also one of the most gifted, get-you-out-of-your-seat footballers I’ve watched. The past and the persona Suarez occasionally adopts when his blood’s up and he’s trying almost anything to win a game would not stop me voting him player of the year.


“So who are you going to vote for?” he asks.


“You, Gareth Bale, Michael Carrick . . . probably you, if you start scoring again,” I reply.


Suarez laughs. It’s only been four games since he last scored and with 29 goals in 2012-13, rivals can’t match his record. “I think this year I’ve got more chance in the press vote than I have with the players,” he says. Why? “Because, yes, on the one hand the press can criticise you but on the other they give out praise. And from what they tell me — because I honestly don’t read the press here — I hear they’ve spoken about me pretty well. I’ve been criticised, but only on issues I knew myself I had to do something about, things I’ve taken on board. They’ve judged much more this season on what I’ve done on the field, which is positive in itself.”

Luis Suarez  in training at Melwood this week.

The Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year award is announced on May 9, a week after the ballot ends. For the PFA Player of the Year, to be named next Sunday, voting is closed and he’s among six nominees alongside Robin Van Persie, Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Carrick and the hot favourite, Bale.


Suarez seems to be a test case for both awards. “Footballer of the Year” or “Football Personality of the Year”? Are they about what Suarez hopes they are decided on, simply “footballing issues”, or does charm also count? His wife tells him he should behave better on the pitch and one of the things you learn is that Suarez knows full well his abrasiveness there can put people off.


Not just last season but incidents this season — the dive celebration against Everton, the handball goal versus Mansfield, confrontations with Tottenham players — could count against him. He suspects, particularly in the PFA voting, they will. “Everybody’s got their own opinion about players. And everybody’s got their own way of doing things on the field. I understand defenders probably aren’t going to vote for me because I’ve got my particular style, which can be considered a bit niggly. The way I am and the way I carry myself is all part of how I play — almost to divert defenders’ attention, to put them off.”


When we meet at Melwood, Liverpool’s training ground, he sits in his shorts and sips mate (South American tea) from an old silver flask bearing a personal engraving. He’s informal, open and joking — mostly at the expense of Phil, our interpreter. Plainly, the hard-headed competitor is the public Suarez. There’s somebody else you could get to know. But, as mentioned, are personalities important? It’s a simple question: who has been the best footballer in England in 2012-13? Write the name. For me, there’s your player of the year.

Suarez at Hillsborough Anniversary Memorial Service

Southampton’s Jos Hooiveld (who voted for Van Persie) said Suarez “divides opinion”. Phil Neville, Everton’s captain, didn’t even name Suarez in his PFA team of the year. Suarez smiles. “ I wouldn’t be putting Neville in my team either.”

He discusses the street football in Uruguay that shaped him, where picardia (hard-to-translate but an amalgam of cunning, naughtiness and feistiness) is essential. If he were an opponent, would he vote for Luis Suarez?





“If I played against a forward who winds me up every game, tries to get on my nerves and drive me mad . . . it’s difficult to vote for someone who does that. Think back to [Mousa] Dembele and think how he was in that game [v Tottenham].



“It’s hard to vote for a player who’s shouting at you all game and trying to wind you up. But I think you also have to look and evaluate from a footballing perspective. We’re voting about football issues here. Player of the year was never an aim at the start of the season or something I dream about. It’s something I’d always remember. But I’m not going mad to win it.”


The football issues that demand Suarez be crowned are significant. Break down those 29 goals: five direct free kicks, three headers, five with his weaker left foot, five with the outside of the foot, five involving dribbles, two after nutmegging a defender. And no penalties. What you have is a striker scoring all types of goals, almost never scoring cheaply, using improvisation, trickery and top technique. A goal to sum up Suarez: against Newcastle, when he controlled a long pass with an astonishingly deft and ingenious touch — stunning the dropping ball with his collar bone — before dummying Tim Krul and adjusting to poke in. All done at top speed, under physical pressure from Fabricio Coloccini.


Another way to divide the goals: 15 were scored at Anfield, 14 at away grounds. He doesn’t need the comforts of home. “That just goes to show that when I go to away grounds and they boo and whistle at me . . . it doesn’t do any good.”

Finally, though this is also true of Bale, Suarez has produced his goods for a side relying on him, at times solely, to make the difference. His total is not fattened by tap-ins for 5-0 after the rest of the team have done the work. Which prompts something revealing. “You could probably say this is my best season but it’s hard to explain,” he says. “I’m happy, personally. As a scorer your No 1 desire is goals. But I think I would have valued them more if Liverpool were higher up the league, if we’d competed for more.”

Would he have preferred fewer strikes but a trophy? “Yes, 1,000 times more. I’ve got very much a group mentality.”

Supporters worry Liverpool’s underperformance could drive Suarez away. Recently he was quoted saying he’d “welcome” approaches from clubs who will be in next season’s Champions League. His words came from an interview in Uruguay and he says the context was missing. He’d been asked: “What would he do if Liverpool decided to sell him?” Contracted until 2017, he’s happy to clarify. “What I said [in Uruguay] was I’m very happy here, so is my family, which for me is very important. I’m at a club any footballer would want to be playing at, who share my goal of playing in the Champions League. If it’s not this year then it will be the next. I want to see out my contract — but also in football you never quite know what’s ahead.”


Meaning? “Sometimes the club can decide they don’t want you, though you want to stay. Or a player could say he wanted to leave and still end up staying. In football things never turn out the way you plan them. The only thing I have in my head is I’m here and have a contract. I think I’ll be here next season, yes.”


He believes in Brendan Rodgers. “He has a philosophy the players really like. My game is benefiting by keeping the ball on the deck and encouraging movement. He’s a great person on and off the field and you can soon see what a great manager he is,” Suarez says.


This season Rodgers raised with Suarez the question of his number of bookings, pointing out he wasn’t much use suspended. The conversation has encouraged him to try to soften that persona a little, as has his wife, Sofia. “She’s my biggest critic, she always comes to watch me.” She asks what I’m doing, why am I arguing with the referee. ‘All you’ve done today is turn up to shout at people, why don’t you concentrate on playing football?’ If I don’t, they [Sofia and his daughter, Delfina] won’t come and watch me anymore. These are things my wife has picked up on and so has everyone else, so it has made me think.”


Suarez’s player of the year? Bale. On football terms. “I love watching him, his change of pace, his spectacular goals, his strength of shot. He even scores with his head. He’s a totally all-round player and I think that it’s a real shame for football he’s been out these last few weeks.”

Time for training. At Melwood you do well to end a session without being nutmegged by Suarez. “I’m getting infamous for that,” he grins.“One or two lads get angry but not because I’ve done it, because it’s no surprise. They know I’m going to do it. Some just keep their legs closed when I’m near but ones who leave them open . . . well, they’re inviting it.”


Target in reach

Luis Suarez, the Premier League’s top scorer with 22 goals, needs one more to become the first Liverpool player to score 30 in a season in all competitions since Fernando Torres hit 33 in 2007-08.


The Uruguayan forward’s commitment cannot be doubted. He is Liverpool’s most fouled player (59 free kicks won) but is also the Liverpool player who has committed most fouls (44). He has scored the club’s quickest goal this season (67 seconds) and latest (91 minutes 33 seconds).


-->

Rodgers: Suarez would be a worthy winner

Brendan Rodgers today outlined the reasons why he believes Luis Suarez should be named as the Player of the Year for 2012-13.

style="border-radius: 25px 25px 25px 25px; border: 5px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);" width="320" />

The Liverpool striker has fired 29 goals in all competitions so far this term, 22 of which have come in the Barclays Premier League making him the division's top scorer.



Having worked with the Uruguayan over the last nine months, Rogers feels Suarez is one of the finest talents he's ever had under his tutelage - and believes his form this season is deserved of end-of-season accolades.



In an interview with 'Yahoo!', Rodgers said:

"I've been fortunate enough to work with lots of really good players so it would be disrespectful to single out the best. What I am sure of though, is his warrior spirit and I love his humility, work rate, attitude to training and his desire to be a winner.



"He has a real determination and commitment to do well for Liverpool and that side of his game certainly puts him up there with the very best I've worked with. He is definitely one of the most naturally talented and mentally strong players I have ever worked with.



"He will certainly be in the reckoning [for Player of the Year]. His league goals alone should put him in with a great shout but you also need to look at his consistency throughout the season that makes him arguably the best player.



"There are other contenders of course; players like Gareth Bale have been outstanding for Tottenham for example, but I think that Luis' consistency and the impact he has had for us this season means that he would be my candidate to win.



"I know what it was like when I faced him as an opposing manager, I always viewed him as a pest around the penalty area and you know that players like that usually have the quality to score at any give time. When you know him as a person and as a man like we do here, you can see why so many people love him.



"He is a player who has great humility, I see the guy everyday and I've worked with hundreds of junior and senior players and he is one of the most likable, most humble people I've come across.



"He is also a multi-talented footballer who has shown that he is at a world-class level now."

-->

SAY IT AGAIN! Suarez is not for sale

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre has warned any club looking to sign Luis Suarez will not get any success as the Uruguayan is not for sale.

Suarez has been constantly linked with a move away from Anfield, but despite the striker having a long-term contract in place, the 26-year-old could depart Liverpool this summer if he wants to join clubs playing in next season's Champions League - with the Reds set to miss out on qualifying for the competition.



However, Ayre insists the Merseyside outfit will not be forced to sell their star man, and are not even contemplating letting the Premier League's top scorer leave.



"To play at the highest level in the Premier League and European soccer, you need players like Luis and Steven Gerrard on your team," Ayre told Sports Illustrated.



"So the last thing in our mind is selling Luis Suarez. He's not for sale. It's not something we're interested in. I remember when they [Fenway Sports Group] bought the team, John [Henry] made a comment in the media: We don't want to just build a team to win but to keep winning. To do that you have to have a number of world-class players on your team."

Uruguay FA to defend Suarez

The Uruguay FA has vowed to defend Luis Suarez after FIFA began disciplinary proceedings against him for allegedly punching an opponent.



FIFA are looking into the incident in which Suarez allegedly attacked Chile defender Gonzalo Jara during a World Cup qualifier last month.



"Suarez is being persecuted by different football leagues, mainly the English, and we think this is unjust because it's a normal action in football," Uruguay FA president Sebastian Bauza is quoted as saying on South American governing body CONMEBOL's website.



"We will defend him very strongly. We are working with all the videos and pictures showing Suarez reacted to an initial aggression from Jara."



Argentine referee Nestor Pitana missed the incident during Chile's 2-0 victory in Santiago on March 26 when Premier League top-scorer Suarez and Nottingham Forest defender Jara clashed in the penalty area during a corner.



Uruguay have until April 17 to present their response to FIFA.

Rodgers: Suarez happy

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has played down renewed speculation over the future of striker Luis Suarez.



The Uruguay forward appeared to suggest he would be willing to leave Anfield to join a Champions League club in the summer during an interview in his homeland ahead of last week's World Cup qualifiers.

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre insisted Suarez had been misquoted, and Rodgers believes the last round of rumours are of "no great relevance to Liverpool".

Ahead of Sunday's trip to Aston Villa, Rodgers said: "I haven't spoken to Luis yet. He was back late on Thursday and we just ran the medical team over him and he trained on Friday.

"All I am aware of is we have an outstanding player who has given everything for the club and he is very happy here.

"Every time he goes away, there is always something. I always say to players I have a simple rule: when you are with Liverpool just talk about Liverpool and when you are away with your international team concentrate on your international team so there is no drama.

"So what he says when he is with Uruguay is of no great relevance to Liverpool."

Rodgers has also played down claims from Ajax technical director Marc Overmars that Liverpool scouts have been making "regular" checks on midfielder Christian Eriksen.



"If you read what he says, he says we've had scouts there - but we could have been watching any of them, we could have been watching players from the other team," Rodgers added. "I won't speculate on anything."

Cavani: 'Suarez wants me in England'

Napoli striker Edinson Cavani has revealed that his international teammate Luis Suarez is constantly trying to persuade him to move to the Premier League.

style="border-radius: 25px 25px 25px 25px; border: 5px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"width="279" />

Cavani has been linked with a number of Europe's elite clubs, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City among those who are interested.



Despite frequently expressing his happiness in Italy, Cavani says that the Liverpool man is constantly on his case about a move to England.



"When I speak with Suarez, he often talks about his admiration for Liverpool and the Premier League", Cavani told Voetbal Primeur.



"He even encourages me to come and play in England",



Cavani has scored 27 goals in 33 games for Napoli this season.

Suarez will stay at Liverpool but not forever

Uruguay teammate Edinson Cavani reckons loyalty will keep the striker at Anfield but eventually he'll need to play in the Champions League.

Luis Suarez is ready to let his heart rule his head and stay with Liverpool.



But Suarez's Uruguayan striker partner Edinson Cavani has warned Brendan Rodgers that he will lose the 26-year-old if he fails to deliver a top-four finish next season to take the Reds back into the Champions League.



Cavani, the Napoli hit-man who will be a £50million target for Manchester City this summer, is a close friend and confidante of Suarez.



And he says the Reds cult-hero feels compelled to stay at Anfield for another season because he is loved by the fans.



But Canvani said: "The fact is that Luis is one of the top strikers in the world and he wants to be playing Champions League football.

Suarez feels loved by Liverpool fans.

"Of course, Liverpool are not going to make it this season.



"But of they don't make it next season then they will have a problem.



"Luis would love to play in the Champions League with Liverpool.



"But if he can't then a player of his quality needs to play for a club where he can.

"I know it meant a lot when Liverpool stood by him through some tough times“ and he has a lot of love for the club and their fans."



Suarez brilliance has shone this season and his 29 goals have put him in the frame for the Footballer of the Year award.



Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre claimed that Suarez was misquoted during the week when the player claimed he would be open to talk to any team that could offer him Champions League football.



And Cavani's quotes would suggest that Suarez is ready to commit himself to the Merseysiders for another 12 months- despite reported interest from Juventus and City.



Cavani admitted that Suarez is also trying to convince him to swap serie A for the Champions League.



He added: "When I speak with Luis he speaks with admiration about Liverpool and the Premier League.



"He even encourages me to play in England."

Luis Suarez sent a warning

Luis Suarez has pointed to Liverpool's performances this season as evidence that the Reds are capable of mounting a genuine challenge for trophies during the next campaign.

Premier League's game preview

"I think that maybe we've been a bit unlucky in the cup competitions," the 26-year-old told Official liverpool site.



"I think we might have done enough to deserve to still be in at least one of the cups.



"But I think we've turned in some great performances in the league which have shown the real Liverpool that everyone wants to see, which will serve as the basis for what happens next year.



"I think the team is developing nicely, the new signings have settled in well, the manager is happy and I think if we carry on in the same vein we could have a very good season next time around.



"Let's hope so because that's what we all want."



With 11 matches remaining on the Barclays Premier League fixture list, the Reds currently trail fourth-place Chelsea by 10 points.

Suarez fire warning as he's looking forward for Europe next season.

Suarez accepts that 'something major' would have to occur for his team to secure Champions League qualification, but refused to rule out the possibility completely.



The forward added: "I think that mathematically we are still in with a chance.



"We are a bit off the pace at 10 points behind but as I always say, you never know with the Premier League. We still believe that we can make it even if something major will have to happen."



Check out Premier League's game preview. . .

Rodgers: Suarez going nowhere

Brendan Rodgers insists Liverpool have no intention of selling Luis Suarez in the January transfer window.

Speculation in Thursday's press suggested Manchester City have shown an interest in the Uruguay striker - but Rodgers is adamant he'll remain a Reds player.



The boss told reporters at Melwood: "He's certainly not someone we want to sell or move on. He has been a brilliant player to work with and we want to add to our squad - not take people out of it, especially a world-class player.



"We'll continue to work and stay focused on what we're trying to achieve. Luis has already shown in the summer his commitment to the club. He signed a new deal and you've seen up until this point, he's in a great moment in his footballing life here at Liverpool. He's scoring goals and working well.



"I'll just continue to communicate with all the players and Luis in particular. He is very, very happy here.



"There will be no bidding war. He is staying here."