Suarez to stay at Liverpool or join Real Madrid over Arsenal

Arsenal have already been linked with virtually everybody from Gonzalo Higuain to Gareth Barry to Nani this summer, but it is still somewhat of a surprise to see Luis Suarez mentioned as a possible Gunners signing.

It is 4/1 that Arsenal sign Suarez and this is a transfer that has seen some support, despite the fact it makes little sense for numerous reasons.

Firstly, the reason Suarez has typically given for wanting to leave Liverpool is not anything to do with the club, but more to do with the harassment he feels he gets from the British media.

Obviously, things are unlikely to improve in this regard if moving elsewhere in the Premier League and it could be argued that heading to London would actually worsen his media attention.

Secondly, the two clubs would struggle to agree on a fee, with Liverpool in the box seat given that Suarez still has multiple years to run on his contract.

Therefore, they can effectively demand any fee they see fit for Suarez, as there is no risk that he will depart at any point soon for a reduced fee.

The sum being bandied about is that Liverpool won’t sell for less than £45m, which is a figure that Arsenal may be reluctant to pay, even with their supposed new found wealth.

Despite the potential of trouble that Suarez invariably brings, there is little doubt that he would be highly valuable for Arsenal.

For a team that has often been guilty of over-playing in the final third, Suarez had more shots than anyone in the Premier League last season so would provide a greater willingness to shoot.

Meanwhile, his exceptional workrate could be of assistance in stealing back possession high up the pitch.

In terms of where Suarez will end up this summer, it is 11/5 that he remains a Liverpool player, which is the most backed with Ladbrokes, while the biggest stake has been that he joins Real Madrid, which is available at 1/1.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.