Luis Suarez Will Continue to Shine at Liverpool Despite Summer Transfer Drama

Conflict—whether it’s between teammates, a player and a manager, or the board and a wantaway player—can often be solved by one thing: winning. String a few victories together and suddenly everything and everyone around you looks sweeter. It’s like magic dust and it has been sprinkled over Anfield during the first three weeks of the season.

Intelligent signings, three victories and three clean sheets, and suddenly the Reds are looking like a less divided team than they were a few weeks ago.

Liverpool’s best start to the season since 1994 got even better Monday when Luis Suarez, the subject of one of the summer’s biggest transfer dramas, claimed he decided to stay with the Reds “weeks ago”.

The Uruguayan, who scored 23 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last season, was quoted in the Daily Mirror as saying, “For, me, it has been closed for some time. I want to stay and work for the team from now on.

“I will go back to Liverpool to play, and I hope to be the same player the fans can trust,” added Suarez, who is currently away on international duty. “I said I wanted to play in the Champions League, but when that didn’t happen, I knew I’d be happy with life to have my future at Liverpool.

“It is closed now, and I am comfortable with the decision.”

Suarez’s words came off the back of Steven Gerrard’s comments at the weekend. The Liverpool captain told the Sunday Times “that players have to realise that there’s a loyalty to pay back to clubs at certain times.”

Gerrard added: “Luis has got to openly admit that this club stood behind him on a couple of massive occasions and rewarded him with new contracts as well. He’s got to stop [thinking about leaving] and realize the club have been fair to him.”

It would seem now that the question is not "if" Suarez will return to the fold for Liverpool when they travel to Old Trafford for the Capital One Cup on September 23, but rather "where?"

Although it’s still early in the season, Daniel Sturridge has proven his eye for goal, bagging three goals in the opening three matches, and the Englishman will now likely join Suarez in the side rather than compete for a place with him.

Brendan Rodgers shored up his defence on deadline day by securing the signatures of Mamadou Sakho for a fee in the region of £18 million and 20-year-old Tiago Ilori for a reported £7 million.

But the player that will offer them an attacking threat going forward is Victor Moses, whom they signed on a season-long loan from Chelsea. The winger was surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge but he could be exactly what the Anfield outfit need as they look to push for a top-four finish.

Rodgers admitted at the beginning of the season that Philippe Coutinho is best deployed in the middle of the field. If the Brazilian is to occupy a more central role, this would open up the left side of midfield for Moses, who impressed at Crystal Palace before securing a move to Wigan Athletic in 2010.

The decision for Rodgers to make then, if he is to stick with a similar formation to that of the one that lined out against Manchester United at the weekend, is whether to move Sturridge back out to the right to vacate the central role for Suarez upon the 26-year-old’s return from suspension.

One thing is certain, when Suarez regains match fitness, there’s no doubting he will be the first name on the Northern Irishman’s team sheet each week. Gerrard admitted last season that Liverpool resembled a one-man team at times, but this year they appear to have strengthened in the right areas—which can only enhance Suarez's form further.

Where he will play—down the right or in the centre—remains the only question. But if Sturridge continues his good run of form, then he will make that decision an exceedingly difficult one for Rodgers.