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Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has revealed that he wanted to join Arsenal back in 2013 when he was still with the Merseyside outfit.
Suarez joined Liverpool in 2011 and spent three years at Anfield before transferring to Barcelona after the 2014 FIFA World Cup. While his goalscoring exploits understandably stole much of the spotlight, the Uruguayan was part of a proposed deal from Arsenal that remains a running joke today.
In the summer of 2012, it was revealed that the £40 million release clause in Suarez's contract could be activated by interested clubs. Arsenal, who have developed a reputation of being stingy customers in the transfer market, bid £40,000,001 in a cheeky attempt to activate the striker's release clause.
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Liverpool understandably denied the bid and Suarez stayed at the club for two more years.
Speaking to UEFA.com (via Goal), the Atletico Madrid forward revealed that he considered a move away from Liverpool back in 2012. However, his chat with Brendan Rodgers, who arrived that summer to take over as the club's manager, changed his mind.
"I think I'd been at Liverpool for a year and a half when Brendan [Rodgers] took charge in July 2012," he said. "Back then, I had opportunities to sign for other clubs who were getting in contact with me, but he phoned me when I was in Uruguay on holiday, to tell me that he had another way of thinking, that he wanted to change the club and its philosophy, that he wanted the club to get back in the Champions League and fight to win big trophies, that he was going to make the team play great football."
Suarez went on to add:
"He asked me to believe and trust him. I enjoyed that chat. I liked his conviction, the philosophy he wanted to implement at the club, so I talked to my agent and the club to say that I didn't want to leave, that I wanted another opportunity to be successful at Liverpool."
However, the 2012-13 season saw Rodgers' Reds finish seventh in the Premier League, 28 points behind arch-rivals and title winners Manchester United. That prompted Suarez to consider a move to Arsenal, who finished fourth that season, in the summer of 2013.
"That year wasn't as good as we wanted, but ideas were already pretty clear. So then the 2012-13 season goes by, and I wanted to sign for Arsenal, since Arsenal had played in the Champions League every season prior to that."
Suarez ended up staying at Liverpool for another season and came close to winning the Premier League. Unfortunately, the Reds fell short at the final hurdle.
Ex-Liverpool man Luis Suarez has enjoyed a successful club career so far
While Suarez could not move to Arsenal in 2013, he secured a move away from Liverpool in 2014. Barcelona chose to sign the Uruguayan despite him facing a ban after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Suarez eventually spent six years at the Nou Camp, scoring 195 goals and providing 113 assists in 283 matches. He also won four La Ligas, four Spanish Cups and a Champions League with the Blaugrana among other trophies.
The former Arsenal target is now at Barcelona's arch-rivals Atletico Madrid. Suarez guided the Rojiblancos to their first La Liga title in seven years last season.
