Brendan Rodgers says Liverpool striker Luis Suarez will cost 'massive money'
Brendan Rodgers says it will take a massive, 'Gareth Bale' sized bid to persuade Liverpool to sell Luis Suarez.
Last Updated: 04/08/13 11:28am
Rodgers pointed to the £100m that Real Madrid are reportedly prepared to pay Spurs for Gareth Bale and said a similar bid would be impossible to turn down.
So far Liverpool have received two bids from Arsenal for the striker, the second £40m plus one pound, and Rodgers insists Bale is not worth more than double the amount Suarez is.
"Every player has a valuation but you have to look at the market," said Rodgers.
"With Gareth Bale they are talking about £100m and Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez were arguably the two best players in the Premier League last season.
"You can't say that Gareth Bale is valued at over 100 per cent more. We are a club with strong beliefs in what we are doing and nobody will be moving out of here.
"There is, of course, a point where you only want players who are totally 100 per cent committed to being here and I have spoken to Luis countless times over the course of the summer.
"Speculation can be difficult for players but he is back training and back working. The more he is around the group here, the more he is around the great support here, the more he will understand."
Suarez - who has made no secret of his desire to play Champions League football next season - was given a warm reception at Anfield on Saturday where he played 30 minutes of Steven Gerrard's testimonial match against Olympiakos.
Rodgers was not surprised: "He was probably humbled by it. There may have been that bit of trepidation about the reaction he would get.
"But people who have been at this club a lot longer than me know this is the Liverpool way. They always respect people and always respect their own.
"Luis is still very much part of what we are doing here. That was the message from them, they love him. We all love him - manager, players, supporters.
"There have been a lot of stories but for all the speculation from the end of last season, we have only had two bids from one club, which are nowhere near our valuation," added Rodgers.
"Until anything dramatic changes, we have to get him up to speed for when he is fit."
The Suarez situation rather overshadowed Gerrard's big day as he celebrated 15 years with the club, although Rodgers was quick to sing his captain's praises.
"Steven should take all the adulation because he absolutely deserves it," said Rodgers.
"He is a player who has been so dignified in everything he has done on and off the field.
"Let's hope he can continue to show the same hunger he has shown the last few years and we can have a happy and successful couple of years to come."
