Luis Suarez: Perhaps Liverpool's best signing of 2013

Staying put for now: Luis Suarez

When he scores a volley or when he scores with his head, Liverpool fans just can't seem to get enough of their special number 7, who goes by the name of Luis Alberto Suarez. The Uruguayan, having scored a hat-trick in Liverpool's 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, proved his worth to the Anfield faithful and it is not hard to see how valuable an asset the boy from Salto is, after having expressed his desire to depart L4 this summer whilst on international duty with Uruguay at the Confederations Cup in Brazil.

Last season, Suarez was voted Liverpool's player of the year and was at the subject of an infamous £40,000,001 bid from Arsenal, who were chasing a world class player all summer, before snapping up Mesut Ozil for £42 million from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day. Towards the latter stages of the 2012-13 season, Suarez and Sturridge formed a formidable partnership upfront which left Kopites reminiscing of the days of Toshack & Keegan, as well as Rush & Dalglish. Signed for £23 million in January 2011 along with Andy Carroll for £35 million from Newcastle, the pair were set to become one of the greatest partnerships in the history of the Merseyside club. Although Suarez settled in quickly, scoring on his debut against Stoke, Carroll didn't. Liverpool loaned the Geordie out in 2012-13 to West Ham United, who signed him on a permanent deal this summer for a fee in the region of £15 million. 

The SAS: Suarez and Sturridge

However Suarez has had more than his fair share of controversies, including the infamous bite on Chelsea's Branislav Invanovic in April 2013 and two years ago, when he was accused of racially abusing Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra. Both incidents led to him getting a total ban of 18 games, with the Uruguayan frequently being criticised for diving by managers and opposition players alike. Nevertheless, Brendan Rodgers knows that he has a gem in the form of Suarez, who doesn't just score and assist goals, but conjures up attacks from anywhere on the field, which leads to an exciting opportunity for a goal or a last-minute winner. As of 24/09/2013, The Reds' win ratio with Suarez in the team was a rather impressive 61% [1]. Many Liverpool fans would argue that if Suarez was sold in the summer and was replaced with another world-class striker, they would be able to cope without him. However, Suarez is a one of a kind player. He possesses unique dribbling skills that many legendary players didn't have and is a genuine team player, despite having been labelled "selfish" and a "ball hugger" by many.

However, since returning to Premier League action earlier this month, Suarez has been on fire and is proving his worth to Liverpool fans and the club itself, with Brendan Rodgers knowing that he cannot afford to sell the 26-year-old any time soon. With Philippe Coutinho's return from injury imminent, the Brazilian playmaker, along with Suarez and Sturridge can genuinely help Liverpool gain UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time since 2009.

CREDITS:

[1] http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/431872/Liverpool-better-off-with-Luis-Suarez-than-without

Suarez picture: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2013/5/31/1370020804357/-Luis-Suarez-008.jpg

Suarez and Sturridge: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Clubs/Club_Home/2013/10/25/1382699659322/Daniel-Sturridge-and-Luis-009.jpg