A FORMER Arsenal chief has opened up over his famous bid for Luis Suarez 10 years ago.
But he reckons it’s rivals Manchester United who now have issues in the transfer department.
Former transfer chief Dick Law has opened up over Arsenal’s famous Luis Suarez bidRex Features
Getty Images – GettyThe Gunners bid a symbolic pound over the then-Liverpool star’s contract clause[/caption]
Dick Law was formerly tasked with handling Arsenal’s business during the reign of club legend Arsene Wenger.
Working as sporting director from 2009 until 2017, he helped the Gunners secure stars like Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla.
However, his attempt to land Suarez from Liverpool in 2013 remains one of the most iconic failed transfers in Premier League history.
Off the back of a 23-goal season, the Uruguay striker was identified by Wenger as the man to solve Arsenal’s issues in attack.
After discovering there was a vague clause for bids of over £40million in Suarez’s contract, Law promptly fired an offer of £40m-plus-£1 to Liverpool.
But the cheeky bid led nowhere, with furious Anfield chiefs under no obligation to accept the offer.
And Law now admits he should have offered at least £45m, adding the symbolic pound was merely included to kickstart initial talks.
He told the BBC: “Our approach was just to start a conversation.
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“Was Suarez committed to leaving? If you are the buying club, you need more than a week or two.
“When things get inevitably get sticky, you need a sense that the player is going to push from their end.
“In retrospect, should we have offered £45m? Sure. Would it ultimately have changed the outcome? I don’t think so.”
Arsenal are now making waves in the transfer market under Mikel Arteta and Edu, with the pair splashing out on signings like £105m Declan Rice and £65m Kai Havertz.
And Law believes it’s Erik ten Hag’s Man United are who suffering in the market due to having too many figures involved in negotiations.
He added: “For me, the fewer number of people involved in the decision-making, the greater the chance of successful transfer business.
“Not to throw a stone at Manchester United, but I always thought the problem there was too many cooks in the kitchen.”
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