ABOVE: Jamie Carragher says Liverpool shouldn't sell Luis Suarez unless they want to
He only signed a new contract 12 months ago, so if Liverpool really want to keep him, they can
Jamie Carragher
JAMIE CARRAGHER has urged Liverpool to resolve Luis Suarez’s future – and fast.
Suarez has stunned the Reds by revealing he wants to quit Anfield this summer.
The controversial hitman says he has become a pariah in English football following his serious breaches of discipline.
The Uruguay ace was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra in 2011 and handed an eight-game ban.
Things got worse last season when Suarez stunned world football by biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.
An independent panel slapped him with a 10-game ban and Suarez found himself ‘Public Enemy No.1’ in English football.
The Reds have stood by Suarez, to the extent that it cost Kenny Dalglish his job as manager in the wake of the Evra affair.
Suarez says he is fed up with the media intrusion into his private life and wants out.
He has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, while AC Milan and Juventus have also shown interest.
Losing Suarez would be a big blow to the Merseysiders, but Carragher has urged the issue be resolved sooner rather than later.
He said Liverpool could not afford to suffer a repeat of what happened with Fernando Torres.
The Spanish striker wanted to quit Anfield, but was forced to wait 18 months before joining Chelsea in a record £50m deal – and spent that time sulking.
The Reds then rushed into a £35m deal to sign Andy Carroll as Torres’ replacement, but he proved to be a huge flop, and yesterday completed a move to West Ham following a loan spell.
Anfield legend Carragher, who retired last season and will work as a Sky Sports pundit for the new campaign, said: “He (Suarez) is at the Confederations Cup and he has sometimes made the mistake of thinking that what he says abroad won’t come back over here.
“But he is one of the best players in the world and when Real Madrid come calling, it will obviously turn a player’s head.
“It’s not easy for any club when Real Madrid want one of your players.
“The thing about keeping unhappy players is an issue because we had that experience with Torres and keeping him wasn’t the right thing to do.
“He wasn’t the same player for about 18 months and downed tools – and you don’t want that.
“It is a difficult situation if a player has had his head turned, but someone at the club will have to deal with it.
“If he was to be sold, it would be up to the club to make sure the money was spent in the right way, after maybe not doing that after Torres went.
“I think the club has learned from the fiasco of past transfer deadline days and they won’t be caught in that situation again. If you lose a player late, it’s very hard to replace him at that stage of the window.
“As soon as he gets back into pre-season, maybe after he has finished at the Confederations Cup, Luis can have a chat with the club and the manager and sort things out.”
Carragher reckons the Reds should stand their ground and not let Suarez dictate what happens.
The ex-England defender said: “It would be pretty naive to think that no club would be interested in him.
“Real Madrid play those games, too, when they push the player, push the agent, and try to get them to make comments.
“Luis just said if Real Madrid are interested, then he’d be interested in them.
“It’s maybe better now, though, if there are less quotes on the situation and he just concentrates on his football for a while.
“But it’s not out of Liverpool’s hands because he is under contract. He only signed it 12 months ago, so if Liverpool really want to keep him, they can.
“They either wait for a bid they think is acceptable or they decide to keep him because he is their best player and they want to build a team around him.
“It’s not in Luis’ court, it’s in Liverpool’s court. It’s up to them to choose what they want to do.
“If he wants to go, it doesn’t mean the club has to accept it. He signed a contract, so it is the club’s decision more than Luis’.”
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