Liverpool insisted Luis Suarez is not for sale in the summer, after the forward confirmed his desire to leave Anfield. However, the club will listen to offers for the prolific strike if they receive a bid in excess of £50 million ($76 million).
The Suarez saga seems like it will rumble on for some time yet, with the Liverpool striker, away from the supervision of the club on international duty with Uruguay, expressing his feelings over his situation in England, where he believes he has been unfairly treated by the press.
Liverpool, however, quickly came out to quell the rumors of an impending exit, saying they had not been notified of Suarez's desire to quit the club, while affirming their commitment to keeping the striker at Anfield next season.
"Luis Suarez is not for sale -- neither Luis or his representatives have communicated these feelings directly to LFC," the club said in a statement.
"The club remains supportive of Luis and expect him to honor his contract. We will not be making any further comment at this stage."
With Suarez tied to a long-term contract, which he signed only last summer, Liverpool will have the upperhand if they are indeed forced into transfer negotiations, but with the player wanting to leave it is always difficult for a club to negotiate.
Suarez has a clause in his contract where he can negotiate with other clubs if they match a £40 million ($60 million) fee, but that does not necessarily force Liverpool to sell him for that amount, according to the Guardian.
Instead the report in the paper suggests, Liverpool will allow their player to leave only if they receive a bid in excess of the £50 million ($76 million) they sold Fernando Torres to Chelsea for in January 2011.
"I think it's understandable that I leave," Suarez said. "My reason for leaving is not the money. If it were the money I would have left already.
"My main reason is my family and my image. The coach and my colleagues know that the press didn't treat me well. I don't feel comfortable any more.
"I couldn't go to my garden or the supermarket. I couldn't do anything. I know it is normal being followed by the press, but it was too much.
"They talk about me being the named as the best player in England, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. I knew it because of the way the treated me.
"The straw that broke the camel's back (biting Ivanovic) was my mistake. I accept my fault, but they went too far."
Real Madrid are currently the favorites for Suarez's signature, while the likes of Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Juventus have also been linked. Suarez, however, confirmed he had not received any offers yet.
"I don't have any offer yet," he said. "I don't know when I will leave or even if I will finally leave or I will stay. The club knows what I think and what I want. I don't know what will happen but I have a contract. If I stay, I will do my best."
