:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/34911169/489537545.0.jpg)
It wouldn't be the last twenty minutes today if we didn't have some new and exciting and possibly fabricated transfer news to talk about, so let's continue, shall we? As part of Liverpool's activity ahead of the transfer window's opening on Tuesday, the Times' Tony Barrett has indicated the club are preparing themselves for a future that doesn't include Luis Suarez. And that just maybe does include Alexis Sanchez. Earlier today we talked about the club's continuing interest in Sanchez and how it could be tied to Barcelona's efforts to sign Suarez. Now, it appears as though it is.
The crux of the matter is that Liverpool have no intention of lowering their asking price for the Uruguayan following his most recent ban, and if he is to be sold, it will be only for a fee similar to the one Spurs received for Gareth Bale last summer. That means something in the region of £85m, which would be cheap for a player who is amongst the top five footballers on the planet but reflects his ongoing issues. If Barcelona aren't willing to pay that sum, Liverpool are expected to try to meet both clubs' desires by accepting a partial player swap deal of £50m and Alexis Sanchez.
That's still some serious money, and likely a sum that could have been accepted without Sanchez' involvement last summer. Liverpool are in a far more commanding position now, though, and it speaks volumes about both the season Suarez had in 2013-2014 and his value to the club when he isn't suspended that Liverpool could conceivably receive not only £50m, but a world-class talent to go along with it.
