Sanchez reluctance puts brakes on Suarez switch

Liverpool’s attempts to persuade Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez to move to Anfield mean Luis Suarez’s transfer to the Camp Nou will not be concluded until next week at the earliest.

Reports emerging from Spain claimed a straight cash fee had been agreed which is lower than the buyout clause, believed to be between €88 million and €100m, in the Uruguay international’s contract.

However, there is no consistent agreement on what that new figure is — the most common suggestion being €75m — but sources close to the Liverpool end of the deal categorically state there is no truth in the claims.