Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that Luis Suarez agreed contract terms with us before joining Barcelona.
Wenger became the subject of ridicule following the reported attempt to sign the striker, with groups of fans claiming he offered £40 Million which was rejected, with claims they had to pay more than that amount in order to trigger a clause in his contract. The current report claims they had actually offered the amount of £40,000,001 which was supposed to trigger a contractual clause, but the information is believed to have been false.
The Arsenal boss now claims that he was misinformed as to the minimum fee release clause, but that had not stopped them from talking to Suarez and agreeing personal terms for the star to switch between rivals.
“He was very close [to signing],” Wenger said.
“We had an agreement with the player. We had been wrongly advised that he had a clause, with a minimal clause, but we had an agreement with the player. You can ask him.
“I’m convinced he wanted to join us and then they sold him. They kept him one more year, improved his contract and promised to sell him the year later to a club abroad.”
Arsene moved on to compliment the work he has put in to better himself after some disgraceful actions on the pitch such as biting opposing players, adding: “It is not normal. You cannot accept that. He had some behaviours that were shocking but I think as well you don’t see them anymore since two, three years.
“He got rid of all the things that were a handicap for him and today you don’t see that anymore. He’s still on borderline with what the strikers do well, you know, go down in the penalty box but you want that from an intelligent striker.
“Overall I think he got rid of all the rest and rightly so and he deserved to be punished before and now you don’t even expect it anymore from him.”
Would Suarez have pushed us onto win the Premier League? Why did this failed signing not lead to Wenger to pursue another top striker to join our club?
Pat J