Luis Suarez announces intention to leave Liverpool, club say he's not for sale

Luis Suarez has confirmed that he wants to leave Liverpool this summer and make a switch to Spanish giants Real Madrid. 

Over the course of three interviews in the past week Suarez has gone from suggesting he would find it hard to turn down Los Blancos to confirming he would like to leave Anfield, with the Spanish capital being his most likely destination.

Speaking whilst in Uruguay on international duty, Suarez said: "My reason for leaving is not the money. If it were the money I would have left already. My main reason is my family and my image – that’s my priority now.

"It’s a difficult moment for me. The coach and my colleagues know that they didn’t treat me well [in England]. I don’t feel comfortable here any more – they know it – so I think it’s understandable that I leave.

"I don’t have any offer yet. I don’t know if I will finally leave or if I will stay. The club knows what I think and what I want. If I stay I will do my best but I don’t think that will happen because of all the bullying from the press against me and the team is very aware of everything."

Shortly after the quotes reached the British media, Liverpool Football Club reacted by issuing a statement which said the club expected the forward to honour his long-term contract at the club.

"Luis Suárez is not for sale. Neither Luis or his representatives have communicated these feelings directly to Liverpool Football Club." A club spokesperson said.

"The club remains supportive of Luis and expect him to honour his contract. We will not be making any further comment at this stage."

The statement from the Merseyside outfit is similar to one they released after Fernando Torres handed-in a transfer request in order to push through a move to Chelsea. 

The similarity between the two statements suggests that whilst the club may be resigned to losing their top scorer after his latest outburst, they are looking to maximise the potential fee.  

Interest from Bayern Munich may help them in that respect, with a bidding war between the European champions and Madrid ensuring the Reds get the maximum return on the player.