Liverpool Transfer News: Steven Gerrard Wise to Convince Luis Suarez to Stay

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard appears to be living up to his status this summer.

According to The Mirror's Ben Curtis, the veteran midfielder is doing his best to convince striker Luis Suarez to remain at Anfield and help the Reds chase down one of the top four spots in the Premier League next season.

With a month remaining before the summer transfer window closes and Arsenal having made it clear that they are interested in landing Suarez, Gerrard is doing all he can to be the best captain for Liverpool off the pitch:

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I've spoken to Luis loads and of course I'm trying to get him to stay.

We will have to wait and see if I have any joy. It's a difficult one from a team-mate's perspective as you've got to show a player respect. Luis is his own guy and makes his own decisions. But Luis Suarez knows what I want him to do, don't worry about that.

He's the third best player in the world. You've got Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who are on a different planet then you've got Suarez and Gareth Bale.

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Whether Suarez is the third-best player in the world is a question up for debate, but Gerrard is certainly wise to take the stance he did. Proclaiming Suarez as the world's best striker would have made him look foolish and desperate. 

Instead, Gerrard is flattering Suarez while maintaining his credibility. It's obvious that this isn't the first time the 33-year-old star has had to convince a teammate to stick around.

In another intelligent and well-thought-out response, Gerrard adds that hanging on to Suarez this summer could be the biggest move of Liverpool's offseason and it's hard to argue that he's wrong, per Curtis:

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Where we sit right now all depends on what decision Luis Suarez makes in the next few weeks. If we lose him then the challenge becomes even more difficult for Liverpool. It's that simple.

If we get the couple of marquee signings we need and keep Luis that will give me confidence that we can compete. Keeping Luis could be our best signing of the summer.

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Here, Gerrard makes a great point without exaggerating Suarez's significance or taking a shot at his teammate's ego. 

There's no desperation in Gerrard's comments but rather a sense of urgency. If you take away Suarez's 23 goals and eight assists Liverpool will be in an incredibly tough spot this coming season. There's no doubt about that and there isn't much else to it.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has already had a difficult time luring topflight players to Anfield, and with Suarez gone, the club would have even less to offer potential summer targets.

Suarez holds the key to Liverpool's hopes of contention as well as their relevance, and who is more qualified to acknowledge that than the squad's captain?

Although it's not Gerrard's duty to try and keep Suarez on board, his willingness to spend time off the pitch and put the Uruguayan on a pedestal for the good of the club is a huge reason why he is so beloved among Reds supporters.

Gerrard has no real say in whether Suarez stays or goes, but he can have an impact. Wisely, he's chose to make one.

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