Luis Suarez will spark £100MILLION tussle between Real Madrid and Barcelona as Liverpool struggle to hold on to star man

  • Liverpool striker hoping to stage £100million bidding war for Suarez
  • Suarez would prefer Real Madrid over Barcelona
  • Alexis Sanchez could head to Liverpool in return for Suarez
  • West Ham, Newcastle and QPR interested in Chelsea's Petr Cech
  • Wayne Rooney faces crunch talks with Man United boss Louis van Gaal
  • Chelsea hope to complete Diego Costa deal next week

By Rob Shepherd

Published: 17:36 EST, 21 June 2014 | Updated: 13:59 EST, 23 June 2014


Liverpool recognise it will be hard to hold on to Luis Suarez this summer.

Indeed, I understand the club will reluctantly be ready to sell Suarez if the price is right. They are bracing for a bid themselves which is why they were so quick to snap up Rickie Lambert.

Over two months ago this column revealed that Liverpool had inserted a £100million buyout clause in England slayer Suarez’s contract when he signed a new £220,000-a-week deal six months ago.

VIDEO Barca in for Suarez

Jubilation: Luis Suarez celebrates against England, where he may not be for much longer

Jubilation: Luis Suarez celebrates against England, where he may not be for much longer

Firing home: Luis Suarez scores past Joe Hart to send England on the brink of a World Cup exit

Firing home: Luis Suarez scores past Joe Hart to send England on the brink of a World Cup exit

That is how much the club want in the knowledge that both Real Madrid and Barcelona will move in for the Uruguay international after the World Cup finals.

But the £100m clause only applies to rival Premier League clubs.

A lesser fee of £70m would be enough to trigger a move abroad.

However with both Barca and Madrid wanting Suarez, Liverpool still think they can get £100m in a straight auction between the La Liga rivals.

 
Anfield-bound? Barcelona are willing to part with Chilean star Alexis Sanchez (right) to seal a move for Suarez

Anfield-bound? Barcelona are willing to part with Chilean star Alexis Sanchez (right) to seal a move for Suarez

Talisman: Suarez's brilliance fired Liverpool to second in the Premier League last season

Talisman: Suarez's brilliance fired Liverpool to second in the Premier League last season

Barca have put up Chile striker Alexis Sanchez as part of a £40m-plus-player deal. However, given the involvement of multiple agents straight swaps rarely happen.

Madrid have a wider range of players of on offer, but Liverpool’s astute manager Brendan Rodgers won’t have players foisted upon him.

 

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Sources close to Suarez insist the player would rather move to Madrid than Barcelona.

Other than that he has no desire to play for a club in England other than Liverpool, but the Reds are planning to move on without him.

 
 

Tottenham have turned their attentions to signing Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony from Swansea.

Spurs wanted to sign Romalu Lukaku but Chelsea have vetoed their London rivals signing the Belgian hitman either permanently or on loan.

Liverpool are keeping tabs on the situation.

Surprise: Wilfired Bony could be on his way to Spurs after impressing in his first season for Swansea

Surprise: Wilfired Bony could be on his way to Spurs after impressing in his first season for Swansea

 

Talks between FA spin doctors and sponsors are ongoing over the best time to announce the international retirements of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard on the basis of whether the best coverage would come before or after the dead rubber against Costa Rica .

Spain’s Xabi Alonso – the ex-Liverpool midfield maestro – announced his international retirement with the minimum of fuss.

I am hearing

Spurs are set to sign Croatia centre-half Dejan Lovren from Southampton in a £15m deal as soon as the World Cup is over.

I am also hearing

On the advice of new striker coach Teddy Sheringham, West Ham may make £6m move for Swansea striker Michu.

Hammering it: Swansea City striker Michu is on the radar of West Ham as they look to increase their firepower

Hammering it: Swansea City striker Michu is on the radar of West Ham as they look to increase their firepower

 

Chelsea believe they will finally land £32m Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid this week when dethroned world champions Spain fly home.

Romalu Lukaku has been offered in return on loan as keeper Thiabut Courtois goes back to his parent club, but it is understood Lukaku wants a permanent move.

 

West Ham, Newcastle and QPR are all interested in signing Chelsea keeper Petr Cech.

Top star: But Petr Cech could still leave Chelsea for another Premier league club

Top star: But Petr Cech could still leave Chelsea for another Premier league club

 

I-Bet

Is Cristiano Ronaldo really fit? If he is, then 11-4 for him to score for the first goal for Portugal is worth a punt.

After all, nine times out of 10 when any Portugal player gets near to goal they feel the need to pass to the superstar, who seems to be taking the one-man team idea a bit too far.

Portugal are favourites for this game but surely USA are worth a punt at 4-1 to win. Clint Dempsey is 7-1 to open the scoring.

Wayne Rooney faces a showdown with Louis van Gaal when his Manchester United pre-season starts.

Rooney has shown with England he doesn’t like playing in a wide role.

But new United boss Van Gaal with his set 4-3-3 system sees Robin van Persie as his No 9 and captain.

The problem that Dutch coach  Van Gaal inherits is that apart from PSG no club in England or Europe has shown much interest in signing Rooney given the £25 million fee United would want or the £300,000 a week wages the player is currently on.

Through his paces: Wayne Rooney faces a showdown with new United boss Louis van Gaal

Through his paces: Wayne Rooney faces a showdown with new United boss Louis van Gaal

Stop Press

Joe Hart has emerged as a strong rival to Wayne Rooney as the next England skipper to take over from Steven Gerrard.

I-Say

Mon: Can’t help feeling Hodgson is making himself a hostage to fortune when he suggests Suarez can’t be called world class until he’s ‘done the business’ at a World Cup.

Tue: It emerges that Hodgson is succumbing to the cult of ‘Rooneyism’ by being persuaded to change his tactics and team shape to suit England’s so-called star ahead of the showdown against Uruguay.

Weds: Spain’s demolition by Chile shows that despite its virtues the ‘tiki-taka’ system cannot prevail when its protagonists are past their international sell-by dates. Bottom line is overall players, not systems, win games.

Thurs: Suarez: two chances, two goals Rooney: three chances one goal. Uruguay 2 England 1. I –say to Hodgson that makes Suarez look world class. Then again, the team talk was done earlier in the week when the England boss questioned Suarez’s status.

Fri: Costa Rica’s win over Italy confirms England’s worst ever early exit at a World Cup. Incredibly those in the ‘Three Lions bubble’ don’t seem to think to think too much has gone wrong.

Libero

In January 2000, I sat in the Rio de Janeiro’s  Veleso bar with the FA’s then technical director Howard Wilkinson.

It is the fabled jazz dive where in 1962 over a few Brahma beers Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicus de Moraes penned the sublime bossa nova song Girl from Ipanema which was immortalised by Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz.

We were in Brazil watching Manchester United play in the ill-conceived World Club Championships and after dinner Wilkinson, a lover of fine wine, big cigars and jazz music, insisted we pay homage to this birthplace of cool.

Unlike many such places, the venue was still authentic and so it seemed was Wilkinson’s vision about the way ahead for English football as he discussed some solutions to the problems of the national game with a resonance that matched the tenor sax and jazz guitar in the background.

Two years earlier, after England had been knocked out of the 1998 World Cup, Wilkinson had been a co-author of a FA blueprint for the future (yes, there is usually one per decade) called Charter for Quality.

It was seen as a radical paper, not least of how improvement at grassroots level would be tackled by a complete over haul of the youth system with the introduction of an Academy system at professional level.

Millions of pounds have been thrown at it since on facilities, coaches and all sorts of high-tech innovations.

All at sea: Greg Dyke, on a boat in the Amazon River last week, has set up a new England Commission

All at sea: Greg Dyke, on a boat in the Amazon River last week, has set up a new England Commission

But this year new FA chairman Greg Dyke decided a new commission, a new  paper and blueprint needed to be written.

By definition, that means the Charter for Quality has failed. That is not to say everything Wilkinson brought in was wrong. Far from it. There have been plenty of positives.

But the basic flaw is how the academy systems have evolved under the umbrella of clubs, whose main motivation is not the general development of talent, but a policy of talent trawling.

Y-FACTOR

So Y did Roy Hodgson pick Frank Lampard?

The only reason to take Lamps to Brazil was to come on for Steven Gerrard if the England skipper showed signs of tiring.

Well, he did against Italy but he was kept on when the introduction of Lampard could have raised momentum and perhaps plundered a goal.

Ditto against Uruguay when quite frankly Gerrard’s legs were gone by half-time and he made two errors that led to Uruguay’s goals.

Given that Lampard will quit as an England player after this tournament it proved a wasted selection  when an extra striker such as Jermain Defoe could have been on hand to dig England out of a hole. 

The academy system with a new breed of laptop-obsessed coaches has in many respects become part of the problem, not the solution.

Sadly it doesn’t seem that Dyke’s commission seems to have grasped that. Of course, one of the problems is that so many who get involved see a career opportunity in terms of creating new job titles and coaching modules rather than really getting down to the nitty gritty.

It would be wrong to suggest other countries have got it right.

Spain’s recent success, which has come tumbling down this summer, is not all about how they bring up their kids and the new religion of tika-taka - which of course is now, SO yesterday - it is also about the luck of having a great generation of players coming through all at one time.

So, in that respect it would be wrong to suggest that English football should copy say Germany or Belgium just because those countries have a special new wave of young stars.

But it would certainly be worth looking at some of the plain principles Belgium brought in after their ‘Howard Wilkinson’, Michel Sablon, wrote his blueprint for the future at around the same time , just after the 1998 World Cup.

In a nutshell, the Belgium model focuses from a young age on gradual improvement stepping stones and coaching the basics until the kids hit the age of around 11, rather than the English system which sees coaches trying to teach spatial awareness and step overs to toddlers before they can tie up their own shoe laces let alone control and pass with two feet.

Grassroots: England could learn early development lessons from Belgium, who have produced Eden Hazard

Grassroots: England could learn early development lessons from Belgium, who have produced Eden Hazard

The clever stuff and tactics can start to come to the fore when they are teenagers.

Just like that sound of Gilberto’s voice and Getz’s sax, the best and most enduring things in football, as in music, come about when it’s kept simple.

BTW

The FA insists that Roy Hodgson will carry on as England boss.

Carry On? Well I guess it has been a right old Carry On in Brazil.

Carry On in Rio, Carry On Up the Jungle, Carry On in Sao Paolo and on Tuesday perhaps Carry On in Belo Horizonte.

If you wanted to cast it then there would be high-pitched Kenneth Williams as Roy Hodsgon, a Sid James cackling Greg Dyke and pick any one of the 77, yes 77, support staff played by ‘ooh matron’ Hattie Jaqcues.

FOTB

FA chairman Greg Dyke backed Roy Hodgson to stay as boss even before Costa Rica’s win over Italy which kicked England out of the tournament.

Sportsmail reporter Neil Ashton is spot on when he says that such a public statement of support of a failed regime is an insult to England fans who, given their vast expenditure to fly the flag honourably abroad and not act like hooligans, have been let down by the hubris that surrounds Hodgsons’s camp.

Foot on the ball Mr Dyke.

In your salad days when you turned around the failing regime of GMTV you had no qualms if chucking out the chintz, did you Mr Dyke?
You even brought a rat called Roland in to save a sinking ship. So why not now ring the changes now?

Gareth Southgate or Gary Neville, perhaps in a partnership, could be the way to usher in a new generation, rather than Hodgson’s busted flush.

It is a good thing Hodgson has not been pilloried as a plonker as Bobby Robson suffered when things went badly wrong. Or savagely portrayed as turnip such as Graham Taylor was, or the wally with a brolly such as Steve McClaren. Or Sven the Mekon or Capello cast as Postman Pat. Or driven out of office by a smear campaign as Terry Venables and Glenn Hoddle were.

But, on other hand, why is that after a second abject failure at a major tournament Hodgson is being backed to carry on as England boss and invited for a ‘third term’ with England to the Euros. Why are so many closing ranks?

I’ve known Hodgson for over 20 years and think he is an astute  manager and a nice guy. But after this summer’s debacle, the whole England set-up needs a shake-up, not a boss who is happy to tick the boxes and let a sponsor-fuelled gravy train hurtle towards another set of buffers.

With such a weak Euro qualifying group ahead and a young set of players emerging, surely this is the ideal time to make a change and bring a new manager in.

Indeed, if England can’t lure candidates as endorsed by Harry Redknapp - who in my opinion should have got the job ahead of Hodgson in the first place - such as Brendan Rodgers or Roberto Martinez then the current situation would be ideal for a novice such as Gary Neville to cut his teeth.

After all a CV in club management is not a necessary qualification to be an international manager.
After England’s close 2-1 defeat to Italy, Neville declared England had played their best football in 15 years.

Passing through: Roy Hodgson has been told he has the England job until 2016 despite the World Cup exit

Passing through: Roy Hodgson has been told he has the England job until 2016 despite the World Cup exit

But, of course Hodgson buckled and succumbed to the ‘Rooneyism’.

Why fix what wasn’t broken?

By pandering to the wishes of the player and his powerful PR machine, England reverted from being cavaliers to roundheads against Uruguay.

It seemed clear that because the build-up had become so much about Rooney and where he would be deployed that Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck felt like second-class citizens.

They certainly played as if they were. All the verve and confidence they had shown against Italy disappeared.

Yes, Rooney scored a tap-in goal, but he missed two sitters. Luis Suarez converted his chances.
It wasn’t just all about Rooney, of course.

At fault? Steven Gerrard tired against Uruguay and should have been brought off

At fault? Steven Gerrard tired against Uruguay and should have been brought off

Steven Gerrard tired terribly and made two crucial errors. He should have been replaced by Frank Lampard or perhaps Jack Wilshere.

But again Hodgson balked at a big decision concerning a ‘big player’.

And so now England have been eliminated from a World Cup finals sooner than ever before.
Yet Hodgson - as it stands, at least - has been asked to stay on.

No country in the world would let allow that to happen. And, by the way, Spain’s Vicente del Bosque has had the decency to offer his resignation. Given his past record Spain may stick with him.

But surely Hodgson, who came in as a ‘safe pair of hands’ has run his course. If a change is not made then come 2016 it’s just as likely to be another Carry On entitled: Lost in France.

Back Heel

Although Ronaldo is probably all round a better, more successful and certainly vastly richer than the great Eusebio the Madeira-born Real Madrid megastar will never be bigger in Portuguese psyche than the legendary ‘black panther’ who passed away earlier this year.

The fact a national day of mourning was ordered by the Portugal government emphasises just how big Eusebio - the European Pele of his era - was to his country.

Hero: A national day of mourning happened in Portugal after the death of legend Eusebio

Hero: A national day of mourning happened in Portugal after the death of legend Eusebio

In 1966, it was only the heroics of Gordon Banks who won several one-on-one duels with Eusebio that prevented Portugal knocking out eventual winners England in the semi-finals.

England won that game 2-1. Although, of course, it was earlier in the tournament when Mozambique-born Eusebio really grabbed the attention of the world when he produced a stunning one-man show hitting four goals as Portugal came from 3-0 down to beat North Korea 5-3.

 


Ronaldo’s hat-trick when Portugal beat Sweden 3-2 in the play-offs to get to Brazil ranks with that.
But Ronaldo has yet to hit the heights at a World Cup finals. Sunday’s clash against USA is a massive challenge for the World Player of the Year to prove, at a World Cup at least, that he can come close to Eusebio.

On his shoulders: Cristiano Ronaldo will have to inspire his side out of the group to come close to Eusebio

On his shoulders: Cristiano Ronaldo will have to inspire his side out of the group to come close to Eusebio

 

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I'm astonished that so many are so keen to see the best player in EPL leave the English game. Surely we want the very best players showing their talent in our League so why keep pushing to see this superstar go? If Liverpool allow Suarez to leave, even for £100 million they are crazy. Who could they possibly replace him with and still challenge for trophies?

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Most of what Rob Sheperd says is drivel, but Suarez will go before the season begins

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60 million yesterday, 100 million today... What price for Suarez tomorrow... Please DM let me have one of these sports writers jobs you have and I will do it for half the price these wannabe journalists get.

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100 million, no brainer, cash in! Liverpool could do a lot with that money.

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Wayne Rooney, £300,000 English Pounds per week. LOL.

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Suarez spoke of revenge against England like he had nothing to lose. He's definately going if Real have anything to do with it. They just need a buyer for Benzema and the deal will happen

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100 million pound would be a good business for Liverpool. with that kind of money they can get a few players because with chelsea and man city spending on big names I cannot see anyone but chelsea and man city winning the title, Liverpool will be able finish in top 4 without him.

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Who wouldn't want Suarez. Who didn't want Torres? The grass isnt always greener but though it hurts me as a LFC supporter to admit who wouldn't want to play for Real or Barca? I was gutted about Torres but what a silver lining getting to watch a true footballing genius in my team. Footballs about progression, I'd love to see Suarez lead us on a strong run in Europe but if that profit paid for the stadium refit then his legacy would reap rewards for many years to come. Win win and what an absolute pleasure.

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Forget the football clubs, just compare the cities. If you were LS, would you rather live in a beautiful and warm city where everyone speaks your language and crime is low, or in Liverpool?

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Suarez needs 360k per week and all liverpoo job centre benefits shut down to fund it. Also needs respect from the queen or he should just leave!

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