Return to the elite: Why Liverpool have already completed the best Winter signing

Another Premier League weekend, another Liverpool win, and yet another scintillating performance by Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan has been in irresistible form so far in the 2013/14 campaign, and celebrated the signing of a reported £200,000-per-week contract with a brace against Cardiff City on Saturday to take the Reds to the top of the table for the first time since August.

Liverpool fans were pleasantly surprised by a club announcement on Friday as photos of Suarez penning his signature on the dotted line spread through social networks like wildfire.

And now, even before the January transfer window opens, the Merseyside giants may have pulled off the biggest coup of them all by securing Suarez’s commitment to the club beyond 2016, where his old contract would have expired.

Suarez has scored 19 goals in 12 games in 2013/14, making for a conversion rate of 29.7 per cent.

By making sure that the man who has struck the back of the net 19 times in just 12 appearances so far this season, despite missing his first five league games due to suspension, commit to the cause, Liverpool may just have boosted their title credentials.

The much-shared statistic on Twitter since the 3-1 win over Cardiff, revealed that the last four teams to occupy top spot on Christmas day have since gone on to win the title.

Obviously that now depends on the outcome of the Arsenal-Chelsea game on Monday, but make no mistake, with Suarez spear-heading the Reds attack, they have a real chance.

38 key passes in just 12 appearances, an average of 3.2 chances per game.

His strikes this season have been the headline-grabbers, but the Uruguayan has been in a creative mood too, laying on 38 key passes in just 12 games. Another extraordinary statistic.

That total is bettered by Samir Nasri, Eden Hazard and equalled by club team-mate Steven Gerrard, but all three have played at least three games more.

As a result, Suarez has climbed up to fifth place in the Premier League assist rankings with five to his name, the latest coming at the weekend as he unselfishly squared for Raheem Sterling to slot home.

Despite his stellar form, his duel percentages remain rather poor.

While his pass accuracy rate of 76 per cent and take on success of 37 per cent are nothing to boast about, there will be players plying their trade across the globe who would jump at the chance to play alongside the striker.

And by tying Suarez down to a long-term contract, Liverpool now hold a powerful bargaining card in January where they can simply offer transfer targets the chance of playing alongside the former Ajax star as an incentive to join the club.

Having previously aimed for Champions League football, Brendan Rodgers’ men are well placed to take advantage of their excellent start to the season and reinforce a thin squad in preparation for a title push.

As far as Liverpool fans are concerned, it doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened in the summer had Suarez successfully won a move to Real Madrid, or indeed Arsenal, as he and his agent, Pere Guardiola, has planned.

But Brendan Rodgers and club owners FSG stood their ground. A tactic that has paid off handsomely.

All you need to do is look at rivals Tottenham, who were demolished 5-0 by the Reds barely over a week ago, to seek how damaging selling your best player can be.

Gareth Bale left the London club to join Real Madrid for the princely sum of £80m, forcing Spurs to recruit heavily to reinforce the team in his absence.

Despite splashing out nearly £100 million on some of the brightest talents the world has to offer, Andre Villas-Boas lost his job in the wake of heavy defeats at the hands of Manchester City and Liverpool.

Vindication perhaps, of Liverpool’s stubborn refusal to accept Suarez’s departure, effectively handing Rodgers and his men the chance of a return to to Europe’s elite.

And a new beginning for Suarez perhaps, as he looks to exorcise the ghosts of the past and lead Liverpool to a bright future.