Luis Suarez pleas for Liverpool to let him go
Arsenal are reported to have bid
Liverpool's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez has accused the club of not honouring a clause in his contract which would let him leave Anfield, in comments published in Wednesday's Guardian.
Suarez repeated his desire to join a club in the Champions League and said that Liverpool had gone back on an agreement written into his contract, signed last August, which obliges them to sell to any club offering more than £40 million ($60.7 million). (Also read: Spurs remove Gareth Bale from official Twitter account)
"Last year I had the opportunity to move to a big European club and I stayed on the understanding that if we failed to qualify for the Champions League the following season I'd be allowed to go," he told the paper.
"Now all I want is for Liverpool to honour our agreement."
Arsenal are reported to have bid £40,000,001 for the controversial Uruguayan in a bid to trigger the release agreement.
Liverpool maintain the clause only obliges them to negotiate with clubs offering more than £40 million, but Suarez disagrees.
"I have the club's word and we have the written contract and we are happy to take this to the Premier League for them to decide the case but I do not want it to come to that," he told the Guardian.
"I'm 26. I need to be playing in the Champions League. I waited one year and no one can say that I did not give everything possible with my team-mates last season to get us there."
Suarez arrived at Liverpool in January 2011 after a £22.8m transfer from Ajax, but his time at Anfield has been marred by accusations of racism against Manchester United's Patrice Evra and a biting incident against Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last season.
Manager Brendan Rodgers has urged Suarez to repay the support of the club and its fans by staying at Liverpool.
"There's been a lot of speculation over the course of the close season but the reality is that he's a player who is very much valued at Liverpool and unless there's any sort of offer that comes in that's anywhere near his value, there's nothing to consider," he said, adding: "We haven't had that."