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Luis Suarez: Arsenal move would be surprise, says Michael Owen

Last updated on .From the section Liverpoolcomments1399

Luis Suarez

Michael Owen thinks Luis Suarez would be making a surprising career move if he left Liverpool to join Arsenal.

Last week, the Reds rejected a Gunners club record bid of £40m plus £1 for the 26-year-old Uruguay forward, who wants to talk to the London club.

Ex-Liverpool striker Owen told BBC's Sportsweek that joining Real Madrid or Barcelona would make "more sense".

"Arsenal are a fabulous club and have got a great heritage, but Liverpool are as big - if not bigger," he said.

"I'd be very surprised if he were to move to Arsenal. Madrid or Barcelona would make more sense."

The 33-year-old, who scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for England, added: "I'm struggling to understand why he would leave and stay in England with Liverpool being the stature they are."

Recently retired Owen said that the Uruguayan would be more likely to enjoy success in European competition at one of the Spanish clubs next season, rather than at the Gunners.

"From Suarez's point of view you can understand him if he wants to reach the absolute pinnacle of the game - that's playing in the Champions League. Liverpool obviously are not in that at the moment," continued Owen, who joined Real Madrid from Liverpool in 2004.

"Truthfully, can you really see Arsenal winning the Champions League next season or going into the later stages? Unless they buy a good few players then I can't."

On Wednesday, Suarez made his first appearance for Liverpool since his infamous bite on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic's arm last season, coming off the bench in an 18-minute cameo during the Premier League club's 2-0 win over Melbourne Victory at the MCG.

With Liverpool 1-0 up, Suarez laid on the Reds' second for new signing Iago Aspas late in the match.

After the game, Rodgers said: "There's nothing new to report. He [Suarez] is very much a Liverpool player and over the course of the next couple of weeks we've got to get him up to speed."

On Sunday, Suarez again appeared as a substitute during a 3-0 win over Thailand.

The 26-year-old came on in the 61st minute with Liverpool leading through goals by Philippe Coutinho, Iago Aspas, the £7m signing from Celta Vigo, and Steven Gerrard.

Suarez joined Liverpool from Ajax in January 2011 in a £22.7m deal. Last season, the South American scored 30 goals in 44 appearances for the Anfield club.

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1399 comments

  • Comment posted by jarvish, at 10:14 28 Jul 2013

    Here we go with another boring 1000 comment argument around whether Liverpool or Arsenal are the bigger club.

    Sigh.

  • Comment posted by User0722826456, at 10:20 28 Jul 2013

    Why the picture at the top of the page?

    What does a rabbit doing hurdles have to do with football?

  • Comment posted by faffer, at 10:08 28 Jul 2013

    Thank goodness for that - another Suarez article. I was worried for a minute that the BBC had actually forgotten about him. Come on BBC - surely another 5 articles today can be written on this mysterious topic.

  • Comment posted by Jack Klugman, at 11:55 28 Jul 2013

    I'm not a supporter of either club, but Owen is making an idiotic comment when he says 'unless they buy a few good players'.... Hmm....like....er....Suarez?

  • Comment posted by User0444180816, at 12:31 28 Jul 2013

    If you were to put any allegiances to one side, it is a fair point Owen is making. The gulf between Liverpool and Arsenal is not that substantial.

  • Comment posted by User0499485773, at 10:19 28 Jul 2013

    A bench warmer for Stoke City advising others about big clubs? How hilarious!!!

  • Comment posted by JoeR55, at 13:04 28 Jul 2013

    Chris Wilby - how would you like it if someone posted that all Arsenal fans are hooligans or worse. The vast majority of Liverpool people are decent, hard working, law abiding, tax paying citizens...just like anywhere else. Your bigotry is as pathetic as it is inaccurate.

  • Comment posted by Chris, at 13:13 28 Jul 2013

    this is becoming stupid now. Why doesn't the BBC concentrate more on the pre season games which have been going on world wide rather than concentrate on 1 player. Come on BBC

  • Comment posted by domanalog, at 10:31 28 Jul 2013

    I can't think of a single pundit or ex-professional's opinion I care less about than Michael Owen's.

  • Comment posted by GunGanGunner, at 13:13 28 Jul 2013

    @467. JoeR55

    I have lived in Liverpool for 3 yrs and I agree with you. I have not had a single racist word said about my ethnicity. I have never had anything stolen or been pick-pocketed. I was helped by a scouser to get to the right destination a few times, I didn't ask. I've felt safer here than anywhere in the entire country (London, Midlands). I return to London knowing it will be different.

  • Comment posted by bobby, at 15:48 28 Jul 2013

    Of course what Owen says matter. He has a successful career in Liverpool and then Real Madrid. This entitles him to give the advice that joining Real make "more sense".

  • Comment posted by Kim Jong Un supreme leader, at 11:28 28 Jul 2013

    The same Micheal Owen that was willing to run down his contract to get a move away from LFC.

    Just shut up Owen

  • Comment posted by Jon, at 11:14 28 Jul 2013

    A great talent, but not a role model and will be off the pitch for the first 6 games when we need a decent striker the most. We don't want to be playing catch-up again. It stinks of desperation.

    When you think what Arsenal could have bought over the past few seasons for half the money. We should have used the Fabregas and VP money when we had the chance.

  • Comment posted by User0358317063, at 11:43 28 Jul 2013

    I Love michael Owen "moving to madrid would make more sense", yeah just like you did and ruined you career. Great advice !

  • Comment posted by diesel001, at 11:11 28 Jul 2013

    Liverpool were bigger than Arsenal. Not any more - players like Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Overmars, Vieira, Petit made Arsenal bigger than Liverpool. Maybe one day Liverpool will be bigger than Arsenal again.

    Arsenal should sign Stefan Kiessling - only top striker left who they can probably sign now (Utd won't sell Rooney, Liverpool won't sell Suarez, Jovetic gone, Cavani gone, Higuain gone).

  • Comment posted by boom-chamakh-a-lakh-a-lakha, at 11:06 28 Jul 2013

    oh thank god. I was worried the BBC, with its article on Capoue yesterday, had moved away from what really matters in football.

    Can we have an update on the Rooney situation next? Maybe Andy Cole's reaction? It's been a while BBC, sort it out.

  • Comment posted by TheUEFA_BlueBadgesElite, at 12:53 28 Jul 2013

    434.Chris Wilby

    Then here's a bit of advice for you....don't read articles about LFC and you won't have that feeling anymoreabout scousers.....****head.....

  • Comment posted by D1710814438837, at 19:52 28 Jul 2013

    I think Michael Owen has just said what most people think, it would be a pretty strange move for Suarez to go to Arsenal, I can understand Suarez wanting a move but that would be a bit of a side step, plus Arsenal can't afford him anyway.

  • Comment posted by D1679666141937, at 22:50 28 Jul 2013

    948.

    It's either this or the womens football thread.

  • Comment posted by deleted, at 12:46 28 Jul 2013

    I'm glad Owen pointed this situation out. I would never have seen it that way otherwise.

    Hope he's on MOTD lots this season as he's got an insight far beyond us mere mortals.