Liverpool have said striker Luis Suarez is not for sale after the Uruguayan,who received a 10-match English domestic ban for biting last month,stated he wanted to leave the Premier League club.
8220;Luis Suarez is not for sale. Neither Luis or his representatives have communicated these feelings directly to Liverpool,8221; said a club spokesman on Friday.
8220;The club remains supportive of Luis and expect him to honour his contract. The club will not be making any further comment at this stage.8221;
The 26-year-old,who signed from Ajax Amsterdam in January 2011,was second in the Premier League8217;s list of top scorers last season with 23 goals and was Liverpool8217;s talisman for much of the campaign.
He was banned for biting Chelsea8217;s Branislav Ivanovic.
The player,who served an eight-game suspension the previous season for a racist insult,told reporters in Montevideo on Thursday that British media had made his life impossible and he would like to play in the Spanish league.
8220;One has one8217;s limits,one has a family,who also suffer,and that8217;s very complicated,8221; he said.
8220;I have a daughter who I also have to look after,and take her away from where she sees things that are said about her father,8221; Suarez told a news conference.
8220;It8217;s ugly,I prefer to change,it8217;s nothing against Liverpool,rather that I feel bad,I8217;m a human being,I have feelings,and I8217;d also love to play in another league.8221;
However,the forward added: 8220;I don8217;t even know when I8217;m going to leave nor do I know if I8217;m going to stay. I haven8217;t spoken to Real Madrid or Liverpool,my agent hasn8217;t said anything to me.
8220;In England I8217;m in the best league in the world but the Spanish is on a par,8221; said Suarez,who will be with the national team through the June 15-30 Confederations Cup in Brazil.