Luis Suarez commits to Liverpool with new deal

Luis Suarez: Scintillating form. Picture: PA

The Uruguayan has been in stunning form for the Reds recently, after a turbulent summer in which he suggested the club had reneged on an agreement to sell him if they failed to qualify for the Champions League.

It had been expected that talks would continue throughout the season and the received wisdom was that the player would want to wait and see whether the Reds secured a Champions League place for next season, but the club confirmed yesterday he had signed a new deal.

Suarez told the club’s website: “Without doubt the backing I have received from the Liverpool fans has influenced my decision. I am so proud to represent them and go out to do my best for them every time I pull on the shirt.”

Liverpool did not specify the length of Suarez’s new deal but it is expected to make the 26-year-old striker the best-paid player in the club’s history.

Suarez’s spell at Anfield has often been a controversial one after being handed two  long-term bans, one for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and last season for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

Suarez added: “I am delighted to have agreed a new deal with Liverpool and have my future secured for the long term.

“We have some great players and the team is growing and improving all the time. I believe I can achieve the ambitions of winning trophies and playing at the very highest level with Liverpool. My aim is to help get us there as quickly as possible.”

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said Suarez had yet to reach his peak.

He added: “This is fantastic news for everyone associated with the club; the team, the owners and most importantly the supporters. Luis is a world-class talent and securing his services is crucial for what we are trying to achieve here.

“What’s most important and most exciting is that, at just 26 years old, his best years are still ahead of him and we now know we’ll be seeing him reach that potential in a Liverpool shirt.”

Liverpool had to fend off interest from Arsenal in the summer, who had a bid of £40,000,001 rejected for the striker, but their determination to keep Suarez has paid off with the Reds now second in the Premier League with the Uruguayan the leading scorer with 17 goals, four ahead of his nearest rival, Sergio Aguero of Manchester City.