Why Liverpool need to sell Suarez for £80m

Luis Suarez's desire to swap life in Liverpool for the hustle and bustle of Champions League football has dominated backpages for the best part of a month – with Arsenal thought to be his likeliest destination.

While many Liverpool fans continue to question his motives for a move, the big point of deliberation in both the boardroom and the terraces seems to be the player's valuation. Arsenal have so far tabled a highly-publicised £40m plus-one-pound bid for the striker, with Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers riposting that even £50m may not be enough to force the club's hand. With that in mind, how much should Suarez really be sold for?

His arrival at Anfield in January 2011 came during the height of the club's so-called 'Moneyball' era, as former director of football Damien Comolli took control of transfers with a policy supposedly based on investing in players based not only on their abilities, but also their potential resale value.

The signing of Suarez was a massive coup for Comolli, but despite overseeing a whopping £120.8m-worth of spending on transfers during his time at Anfield, Champions League qualification failed to arrive and the club had only a League Cup success to show for it.

So far, despite the supposed emphasis on resale value, Liverpool have managed to recoup £19.5m back in fees through the sales of players bought in the Comolli era, with Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam moved on at a combined loss of £24m. The figure recouped could rise to £24.5m should Stewart Downing complete a potential £5m switch to Newcastle, although that would take losses up to £39m.

Another of the Comolli era acquisitions, Jordan Henderson, hasn't increased his potential resale value since joining the club, although he could yet prove a valuable player at Anfield. Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers is scouring the market for a new left-back after growing frustrated with Jose Enrique, and Sebastian Coates is even further away from the starting XI than when he first arrived in England, all of which have combined to make the financial implications of the Moneyball foray look bleak.

Assuming the Reds are able to pocket around £20m in future from the sale of players including Downing, Enrique and possibly Henderson and Ibe, for Liverpool to break-even from their Comolli-era purchases, the Reds would need to sell their crown jewel, Suarez, for upwards of £80m. Time to play hardball, rather than Moneyball?

Damien Comolli-era signings

Andy Carroll – Bought for £35m / Sold for £15.5m
Charlie Adam – Bought for £8.5m / Sold for £4m
Doni – Bought for £0m / Released £0m
Craig Bellamy – Bought for £0m / Sold for £0m

Stewart Downing – Bought for £20m / Will likely be sold for £5m

Luis Suarez – Bought for £22.7m
Jordan Henderson – Bought for £20m
Jose Enrique – Bought for £7m
Sebastian Coates – Bought for £7m
Jordan Ibe – Bought for £500k
Danny Ward – Bought for £100k

How much do you think Luis Suarez should be sold for? Let us know by commenting below.