Arsene Wenger has finally explained the transfer saga that saw Arsenal table a £40 million plus a solitary pound offer for then Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez in 2014.
The Uruguayan was one of the best strikers in the Premier League at the time and Liverpool was building a team that would try to win the title around him.
The Gunners were still looking for a replacement for Robin van Persie who had joined Manchester United a few seasons back.
The Gunners were incorrectly informed that Luis Suarez had £40 million release clause written into his contract, so the Gunners bid £40 million plus £1 for the Uruguayan forward.
Liverpool rejected the offer out of hand and Wenger has now revealed that they didn’t want to annoy Liverpool, but they simply wanted to trigger his release clause, if there was any.
It turned out to be false and the Gunners were ridiculed in the media for their failed bid.
In his new autobiography ‘Arsene Wenger, My Life in Red and White’ the legendary Arsenal manager revealed as quoted by the Metro: ‘In 2014 were looking to get Luis Suarez over.
‘We had an agreement with the player and his agent. But the agent claimed that there was a clause: with an offer above £40million, Liverpool would be obliged to let the player go.
‘But thanks to an indiscretion within Liverpool. I found out that his clause never existed. To check this was true, we offered £40,000,001. This may have seemed ludicrous, I admit.
‘But Liverpool did not want to sell Suarez, they could afford to keep him and there was already an offer from Barca on the horizon.’
