Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists he is in no rush to sign Luis Suarez to a new contract.
When asked about progress is extending Suarez’ deal beyond 2016 – when it’s currently set to run – Rodgers played it cool.
“There’s nothing to report on that,” said Rodgers.
“That (the contract) will all take care of itself, I don’t think there’s any rush at this moment in time with anything on that.”
No rush? Is anyone actually believing that nonsense?
There most definitely is a rush to re-sign Suarez.
First and foremost, he is currently in the best run of form of any player in the world. He’s on a torrid scoring pace, having netted 17 goals in 11 league matches, including hat-tricks against West Brom and Norwich.
Assuming he keeps up that pace Suarez is on target to score 51 goals this season, which would be twenty goals better than the (38-game) Premier League scoring record of 31 set by Alan Shearer in 1995-96 and matched by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2007-08.
Secondly, the sharks are circling Liverpool’s ship.
Arsenal attempted to buy Suarez last summer by offering just over £40 million in hopes of triggering his release clause.
Suarez, who had forgotten the clause was removed from his contract the year before, nevertheless had his head turned.
Last week, Arsene Wenger mused on his failure to acquire Suarez, a man the French boss described as an “angel” off the field and a “demon” on it.
If Wenger isn’t done dreaming of bringing Suarez to Arsenal then cash cow clubs like Real Madrid aren’t either. Last summer Los Blancos dropped £85.3 million to acquire Gareth Bale.
If Bale is worth that sum then Suarez could foreseeably go for upwards of £100 million. Of course that’s not to say that, even at that amount, Liverpool would agree to sell the Uruguayan. But it won’t stop those offers from being tabled.
The more offers tabled and the more substantial those offers, the more likely Suarez and even Liverpool could pull the trigger. There is no such thing as ‘not for sale.’ Everyone has a price.
So don’t let Rodgers’ passiveness fool you. Liverpool is pressing to lock Suarez down until kingdom come.
If they aren’t then there’s something seriously wrong.
