The Uruguayan stole the backpage headlines once again earlier this summer when he seemed to suggest he wanted to leave, and Real Madrid were clearly the team the forward had in mind to move to.
As it is, things have gone quiet. Whether Real are really interested in him is unclear, particularly with the Spanish giants chasing his international team mate Edinson Cavani from Napoli. Suarez therefore appears set to return to Liverpool as things are, and he should have considered the club before he made his comments earlier this summer. They have stuck by him during some trying times over the last couple of years. Yes, Suarez has a case when he complains about the double standards of the English press. Suarez, unlike many, many of his peers, does not misbehave off the pitch, and some of his actions are no worse than those of English players who get relatively light treatment.
So yes, he has been harshly treated. But Suarez himself has been fantastically supported by his club, first by Kenny Dalglish and then Brendan Rodgers. They have stuck with him and looked to defend and fight his corner when necessary. When Suarez bit Branislav Ivanovic’s arm towards the end of last season, everyone could see it was wrong. The club and player both said so. But when the ban, for 10 matches, was announced, it was so clearly disproportionate that the club and player both protested. Liverpool have backed their man.
Suarez should be considering this when he makes his next move. He owes Liverpool some loyalty in return. He should also not forget that they bought him at a time when he was suspended in Holland for biting a player’s ear. Perhaps Suarez simply sees the opportunity to move to Real Madrid or another club fighting for top honours and thinks the media excuse is a plausible reason to push for a move. Understandably perhaps, but it would be disloyal.
The best way for the player to repay his gratitude to Liverpool would be to stay and guide them into next season’s Champions League. The club are building intelligently, bringing in capable players such as Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas with years ahead of them. Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge arrived last season, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan seems set to follow during this transfer window. With Simon Mignolet arriving already this summer, Liverpool are developing a squad that will be well placed to challenge next season. As Arsenal and Tottenham look to benefit from a summer of stability whilst others change, so can Liverpool – but only if Suarez stays. This is a great opportunity for them to overtake neighbours Everton again and become top dogs in Merseyside once more. Suarez can form a formidable forward line with Coutinho, Sturridge and Mkhitaryan next season if he stays. They could well fire Liverpool back into the Champions League, and that would be the perfect parting gift for Suarez to leave on.
