London: Liverpool have moved a step closer to signing Uruguay striker Luis Suarez from Ajax following high-level talks in London.
Anfield owner John Henry and director of football strategy Damien Comolli met the player's agent Pere Guardiola — the brother of Barcelona manager Pep — at a hotel in the capital on Tuesday night before the American millionaire was seen taking his wife Linda out to dinner.
The Dutch club are trying to push the price for Suarez, 23, towards £25 million (Dh147 million). Liverpool are reluctant to go above the club record £20 million fee for Fernando Torres in 2007, although winger Ryan Babel could be used as a make weight in the deal if he favours a return to Ajax over joining German side Hoffenheim.
The American owners are prepared to offer Suarez a four-year deal worth £75,000 a week to make him their first signing since taking over in October, and the first since Kenny Dalglish returned as manager.
Dalglish also wants to sign a wide mid-field player and left back in the transfer window, but a strike partner for the beleaguered Torres is the priority and Suarez, who scored 49 goals for Ajax last season, is his No 1 target. Liverpool chairman Tom Werner paved the way for the Suarez deal yesterday by promising Dalglish funds to strengthen his squad this month.
"I would be devastated if we didn't see improvement," Werner said.
"We've identified targets and hope we will be successful.
Need for progress
"We're going to be driven by value and we certainly have the resources. But we want to do something that's going to improve the club long-term.
"I expect progress. Our team need to get younger. But we want to improve not just this week but next year. And we feel we have targets that hopefully we'll be able to announce."
Werner responded to captain Steven Gerrard's call for Dalglish to stay in charge beyond the end of this season by admitting the 59-year-old Scot has put himself in contention for the job on a permanent basis.
"He's an iconic figure in our club's history," Werner said. "He's competent, he understands the club's philosophy, he's excellent at man-management, and we've been very pleased with the progress.
"He's only been in the job for a short-term, but I've been very impressed. I don't like to play hunches, but he is a candidate."
Ajax striker Suarez has scored 81 goals in 108 league games — 35 in 33 last season earned him the Dutch footballer of the year award. His Latin temper has cost him seven yellow cards in the league this season.
He was banned for seven games after biting PSV midfielder Otman Bakkal on the neck, for which the Dutch press dubbed him ‘The Ajax Cannibal'. His goal-line save — ‘The Hand of Hell' — denied Ghana a semi-final place at last year's World Cup.
Asamoah Gyan missed the spot-kick and Uruguay went on to win on penalties.
