Arsenal set to spend 40 mln pounds to reel in Suarez?

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reportedly given the green light to break the bank and spend 40 million pounds on controversial Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and the club is confident that Suarez will quit Liverpool for a sensational move to the Emirates.

According to the Mirror, even though the Uruguayan is Wenger's No1 choice despite also having Gonzalo Higuain and Wayne Rooney on his radar, Liverpool however, has insisted that Suarez is not for sale.

The report said that the Anfield giants have already rejected one approach for Arsenal after claiming that their valuation of a 35 million-pound package was not enough even though Suarez has a 40 million-pound clause in his contract, which may entitle him to leave if any club matches the price. However, the report mentioned that the Arsenal board has allowed Wenger access to 70 million pounds transfer funds and made it clear that if he wants to spend the majority on Suarez, they will back his judgement.

However, Liverpool is adamant that they are not obliged to sell Suarez, with manager Brendan Rodgers saying that he expected the footballer to stay until something ''drastic'' happens, adding that he is looking forward to working again with Suarez this season.

Dismissing speculations of Suarez moving to another club, Rodgers further said that they had an offer that was nowhere near what they valued Suarez given that he is one of the top strikers in the world, adding that he has three years left on his contract and should use them to help Liverpool get into the Champions League spots.

Suarez was named in Liverpool''s 27-man squad for their pre-season tour of Indonesia, Australia and Thailand, although he is one of three players joining the party later in the tour following Confederations Cup duty, the report added.

Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters