Rodgers insists Suarez will stay at Liverpool

Although Suarez’s desire to leave Liverpool this summer has seemed clear from various interviews he has given over the last few weeks, the Merseyside outfit have emphasised they do not  intend to sell the Uruguay international and rejected an offer – understood to be £30 million – for him from Arsenal.

This week Liverpool confirmed Suarez had been named in the 27-man squad for their pre-season tour of Indonesia, Australia and Thailand, saying he was one of three players – all given extended leave due to being involved in last month’s Confederations Cup – who would be joining the party “later on in the tour”.

And, speaking to reporters at a press conference in Jakarta yesterday, Rodgers said: “Luis Suarez is a wonderful player and he is still very much a Liverpool player. No matter who the player is, nobody is bigger than Liverpool Football Club.

“Luis is a very important member of this squad and I am looking forward to working with him again this season after he had such a fantastic season.

“There has been lots of speculation about Luis moving to  another club but, as I said, he is very much a Liverpool player.

“We had an offer that was  nowhere near what we value him at. He’s one of the top strikers in the world.

“Of course he wants to work and play at the top level. But  unless something drastic happens, he will be staying here.

“He has got three years left on his contract. We are looking forward to him helping us get into the Champions League spots.

“That’s a competition we are fighting to get into. The great name and history of Liverpool dictates we should be in that competition.

“It is difficult these days with the finance some clubs have but I believe that we will put up a great fight this season. Let’s hope we can get back to where we  belong.”

Liverpool take on an Indonesia XI in Jakarta tomorrow,  before facing Melbourne Victory in Australia on 24 July and then Thailand in Bangkok on 28 July.