The old saying goes "any press is good press." With the recent revelations in England, you would have to think that Luis Suarez is pushing the boundaries of that saying. The prolific and talented striker has drawn the ire of Liverpool fans, team mates & the club's brass over the past week after trying to push a through a move away from the club. Suarez is even exploring his legal options in attempting to leave Liverpool. This is particularly irksome to Liverpool fans, who stood by Suarez's side after his most ridiculous antics, namely racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra & subsequently refusing to shake Evra's hand in the next Liverpool/United match. If that wasn't enough, Suarez bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a match near the end of last year's campaign & was suspended for 10 matches (which will carry into this upcoming season). Liverpool fans even supported these highly questionable eating habits. That's quite possibly the farthest a group of fans have gone to support a player, backing an alleged racist cannibal despite his flaws.
So, after receiving this backing, how does Suarez want to reward the Kop? By jumping ship, of course! After making seductive glances at Real Madrid & subsequently being passed up by the Spaniards, the Uruguayan is now making eyes at Arsenal.
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| Suarez is starting to alienate fans & teammates alike at Liverpool |
A potential deal to land Suarez makes sense for the Gunners on paper. After losing Cesc Fabregas in 2011 to Barcelona & star striker Robin Van Persie to Manchester United last summer, the Gunners need a star. While Arsenal has continued to qualify for the Champion's League (now a streak of 16 straight seasons), the last 2 seasons have shown that Arsene Wenger's men are starting to lose their grip on a top 4 finish.
Gunners' fans have been disappointed with the club's inactivity in the transfer market in recent years, but part of this is due to the fact that Arsenal is not seen as a prime destination for the best footballers on the planet. In recent years, Arsenal could not compete with the wages being offered by the Manchester City & Chelsea's of the world. But most importantly, Arsenal has not won a trophy in almost a decade. Getting paid less than your peers & not winning will not lure stars to a club. Adding Suarez may not guarantee trophies right away, but it will give Arsenal legitimacy in offering competitive wages & attracting top players in the transfer market again.
Think of the Robinho effect at Manchester City. The on field effect was minimal, but the fact that one of the world's top talents moved to the blue side of Manchester gave Man City instant legitimacy in the transfer market & lured other top talents to the Eastlands.
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| Suarez at FC Groningen: Successful stint ended in controversy |
Don't get too excited though Arsenal fans. There is no guarantee that a £50m plus bid will even be accepted by Liverpool. But let's say it is.The main question to ask is how long would Suarez stay at Arsenal? In 2007 he forced his way out of FC Groningen of Holland to play for Amsterdam's Ajax. In 2007 Suarez looked towards the courts for a solution, but while Groningen won an arbitration hearing, they opted to sell the striker as he had soured relations with his teammates & the fan base. He seems to be maneuvering a similar move here. Based on this history, what would hold off Suarez from forcing his way out of a club again? Would he depart Arsenal for Real Madrid or another one of Europe's elite teams in a year or two leaving the club in a poor position?
So, before you start counting how many titles you will win with Suarez, take a look back at history Arsenal fans. It often repeats itself.
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