Ayre standing firm on Suarez

Liverpool director Ian Ayre has reiterated the clubs desire to keep hold of want-away striker Luis Suarez, Sky Sports understands.

The Uruguay international is reportedly keen on moving to a club that can offer him Champions League football, with Arsenal currently leading the race to secure his services.

The Reds rejected a bid of £40m plus a pound for Suarez from the Gunners earlier this week, and have given the North London club a deadline of next week to meet their £50m valuation.

Brendan Rodgers is equally keen to keep hold of the 26 year old who scored 30 goals for the club last season, but doesn’t want the saga to continue over-shadowing pre-season preparations.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are preparing to battle with Tottenham Hotspur for Valencia striker Roberto Soldado should Suarez move on.

The £26m rated Spain international featured at last month’s Confederations Cup, having scored twenty-four goals in thirty-five La Liga appearances last season.

The club have also been linked with a move for Udinese striker Luis Muriel, while they are also said to be considering a loan move for Chelsea’s Brazilian teenage Lucas Piazon.

Elsewhere the Daily Star have reported that the Reds have joined Everton in the race to sign Juventus forward Alessandro Matri, who is set to fall further down the pecking order at the Serie A Champions, following the arrivals of Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez.