Gerrard is going to try his best to persuade the South American not to leave.
Liverpool have turned to the big guns in their bid to try and convince Arsenal and Real Madrid target Luis Suarez to stay, as captain Steven Gerrard enters the fray.
The skipper has shown amazing loyalty to the Reds over the years as when the midfielder was at his peak, several of the best clubs in the world wanted to sign Gerrard.
However, now 33 it seems highly unlikely the Englishman will play football at anywhere other than Anfield and it’s that longevity that will be used to sway Suarez.
“I’d say to Luis: ‘Give it one more year, see if we can achieve that’,” the midfielder was quoted in the Telegraph.
“Alongside Gareth Bale, Luis is the third best player in the world after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Luis and Bale are the two hottest properties out there at the moment.
“When you’re in that position, you’re going to get all kinds of teams wanting to pull you away, especially when you are at a club not in the Champions League.
“It’s nothing to do with the British media [criticising Suárez]. Knowing the guy as I do that’s probably the thing on his mind: wanting to be in the Champions League.’
“I don’t think Arsenal is a step up. Us, Arsenal and Tottenham are fighting for one of the Champions League places.
“In an ideal scenario we keep Suárez, make one or two more signings and Tottenham lose Bale.”
Gerrard is the second high profile Liverpool great to come out and declare a move to the Gunners as a step sideways after Michael Owen’s comments.
The fact of the matter is though that the Merseyside outfit have failed to make the top four since 2009, whilst under the guidance of Arsene Wenger the Gunners have qualified for the Champions League every year since 1996.
It will be a tough ask for the Reds to convince the Uruguayan to stay – even with Gerrard’s influence – and as fans at the Emirates Stadium become increasingly more adamant they want a marquee signing this summer, Suarez is looking more and more like an attractive option.
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