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.

The two parties held talks on Wednesday and it is understood Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre left that meeting confident a deal could be done which met their valuation.

Liverpool insist nothing has changed in that regard from their point of view and the only hold up to the transfer going through is negotiations surrounding Sanchez.

After Wednesday’s meeting an Anfield source said there were “sensible expectations on both sides”.

The Merseysiders’ expectations extend to the full value of Suarez’s buyout clause, inserted into the lucrative £200,000-a-week new deal he signed in December.

Whether that amounts to a pure cash sale or cash plus Sanchez has yet to be decided.

The Chile international reportedly favours a move to Arsenal, but Barcelona would like him to move to Anfield in order to expedite their move for Suarez.

Until a definitive outcome has been reached on that the value of Suarez’s move to Spain will not be finalised.

While the exit of Suarez remains Liverpool’s primary focus, they are still continuing with their recruitment drive and, having already signed Southampton duo Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana, in addition to Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can, they are trying to bring a third Saints man to Anfield in the form of Dejan Lovren.

Manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to add reinforcements at centre-back and it is believed a bid has been lodged at St Mary’s.

That has been rejected, but there are suggestions the Croatia international is unhappy with that and wants the opportunity to play Champions League football, which is an issue Southampton’s new manager Ronald Koeman will have to address as he gets ready to welcome the players back for pre-season.

Were Rodgers to succeed in signing Lovren, it would most likely signal the end of Daniel Agger’s eight-year Liverpool career.

For their part, Arsenal have identified Chile forward Sanchez as their main summer target and also want Newcastle right-back Mathieu Debuchy.