Liverpool's Luis Suarez: The Striker That Wenger Should Have Signed for Arsenal

Liverpool were languishing in the middle of the table and even the Anfield faithful had thought that this season was destined to be another failure.

However, with the appointment of Kenny Dalglish as manager, the club has been reinvigorated and enjoyed an excellent run in the Premiership—including wins over Chelsea and arch-rivals Manchester United.

Even if the club does not secure a Europa League place, the season will still be considered a success, so long as they continue to fight until the end of the season and Dalglish is appointed permanent manager.

One of his biggest moves so far saw Dalglish sell Fernando Torres and bring in two quality strikers to replace him in Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

Carroll had an injury which led to a delay in his debut for Liverpool, but Suarez has already been hugely influential at the club.

He has had a hand in five goals in as many league matches—that alone shows the impact he's had.

Before the signing of Suarez, Liverpool didn't have movement in their attacking half due to the lackadaisical performances of Fernando Torres and general inability of some of the players to make creative runs.

However, Suarez has dropped deep, spread the ball well and provided movement in Liverpool's attack.

He has enjoyed an excellent partnership with Kuyt and, what's more, established an excellent understanding with Raul Meireles, who has arguably been Liverpool's best player since Dalglish took over at the club.

There will always be questions asked of a striker from the Dutch league as to whether they can cope with the physicality and pace of the English Premiership. However, Suarez has quickly dispelled any doubts in his short time in the country and seems destined for a bright career in England.

Damien Comolli and other Liverpool officials should be applauded for their persistent efforts to sign the striker from Ajax, while the new owners have provided the necessary funds and support to Liverpool FC.

That being said, one manager who could be looking at Suarez as a lost opportunity is Arsenal's Arsene Wenger, who considers players above £20 million as above his budget.

Suarez' performances have since highlighted that the gamble would have been worth it.

Wenger spent close to £10 million for Thierry Henry, which was quite a high price at the time—but the value that they obtained is measured in the trophies that the Gunners won.

While Arsenal have a quality centre forward in Robin van Persie, the Dutchman has frustratingly missed several matches over the last few seasons for Arsenal due to injuries.

Suarez could have played as a replacement for Van Persie if ever the Dutchman was injured, which would have been a huge positive for the Gunners. That being said, the problem with signing a quality forward is that he needs to play regularly, but with the versatility of Suarez, he could be eased into the team and could have played regularly.

Andrei Arshavin has been inconsistent for some parts of the season, but is finally capturing his best form. Suarez could have replaced the Russian and could have provided an impetus for the Gunners.

With pace, strength, skill and great shooting ability, he is the finished product and could have brought much success to the Gunners.

What's more, he can also play as the second striker/main striker in a 4-4-2 formation, which would have been a nightmare to mark—Van Persie and Suarez, both willing to drift into the midfield and make incisive runs into the box. Both the strikers also tend to take audacious shots and both are clinical finishers.

Wenger has commented that he is unable to find players, even though he has the money. Suarez is a player that he should have invested in. While Liverpool FC is traditionally a great club with a brilliant history, Arsenal FC have a better chance to win trophies in the near future and can offer Champions League football from the outset.

Arsenal could have offloaded the likes of Nicklas Bendtner or Carlos Vela to reduce the cash spent on the transfer, since the duo have not been integral to the Gunners this season.

While Chamakh has been an excellent signing for the Gunners, he does not possess the quality of Van Persie or Suarez, which is why signing Suarez would have been a master-stroke by Wenger.

Tottenham were also interested in signing the Uruguayan, according to reports, but the talented striker chose to move to Liverpool instead and inherited the legendary No. 7 shirt previously owned by "King" Kenny Dalglish.

However, Arsenal could have attracted the Uruguayan. The Gunners even have former Ajax captain Thomas Vermaelen who could have helped Suarez settle at the club.

Fernando Torres, despite his recent struggles, was a great striker for Liverpool. However, his departure has provided the Anfield faithful with another superb player in Suarez.

The moment the Uruguayan jinxed past three Manchester United defenders to set up Dirk Kuyt, a new star had arrived for Liverpool—one that could take them back to greatness.

While Suarez has influenced Liverpool's surge back into the top six, Arsene Wenger will still be wondering what could have been if he'd made a different decision—a decision which could have brought trophies to the empty trophy cabinet at the Emirates.

This article is also featured on The Invincible Gunners, a blog on Arsenal