Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Latest on Gunners' Pursuit of Luis Suarez

Arsenal will be forced to meet Liverpool’s £50 million-plus valuation of Luis Suarez because the striker shows no intention of challenging a clause in his contract, writes Chris Bascombe of Telegraph Sport.

Arsene Wenger hoped a £40,000,001 million offer would trigger a release clause in Suarez’s contract, but Liverpool claim the amount only prompts them to inform the striker of the bid without any obligation to sell. 

Suarez and his agent, Pere Guardiola, were convinced Liverpool were contractually obligated to release the player for any amount over £40 million, but they have not made representation to the Premier League.

According to Bascombe, a Liverpool source commented: "We've all examined the clause in detail. All it obliges is good faith negotiations about Luis' future. There is absolutely no obligation to sell and that is very clear."

If Suarez’s camp does not ask the Premier League to intervene, Arsenal will be left to match Liverpool’s asking price, which Brendan Rodgers has already hinted to be in the region of £55 million after he compared the player to new Paris St-Germain capture Edinson Cavani.

Suarez does have history when it comes to approaching a governing body to help him leave a club, failing with an effort to force through his €3.5 million sale from Groningen in 2007. Ajax eventually had to pay €7.5 million for the Uruguayan, as documented by UEFA.com.

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Ajax saw potential in Suarez and offered Groningen €3.5 million for him, but Groningen rejected the deal. Suarez was upset and brought his case to the KNVB’s arbitration committee to try to facilitate the sale. The arbitration committee ruled against him on 9 August 2007, but that same day, Ajax increased their offer to €7.5 million and Groningen accepted.

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Suarez is next expected to pull on a Liverpool jersey when the Reds face Olympiacos in a preseason friendly on Saturday.

It is the club’s first chance to implement a newly announced guide to unacceptable language, outlined by BBC Sport, which is designed to help Liverpool staff eradicate abuse from the stands. 

The Anfield outfit aim to stamp out slurs against race, religion, sexual orientation, gender and disability, highlighting terms such as “don’t be a woman” and “that’s gay.”

Social inclusion officer Rishi Jain said the club had been "actively engaged in an education and awareness programme."

"This programme includes interactive workshops and a handbook which is designed to provide information on the latest equality legislation including what terminology is deemed acceptable and unacceptable."

The new guide comes 19 months after Suarez received an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra.