Luis Suarez will stay: Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool: Brendan Rodgers has held positive talks with Luis Suarez’s agent that have allayed fears he will quit Liverpool if they fail to qualify for Europe.

The Uruguay international, who Rodgers believes is the outstanding candidate to be named PFA Player of the Year, has been linked with making a summer move to Bayern Munich when Pep Guardiola takes charge.

Suarez’s agent is Guardiola’s brother, Pere, but Rodgers is not worried that the former Barcelona manager’s imminent return to work poses a threat to the 26-year-old’s future after holding constructive talks with his representative at Liverpool’s Melwood training base.

Steven Gerrard admitted last month that Liverpool need to recapture their Champions League status to ensure Suarez stays for the duration of his contract, which runs until June 2017.

But when Liverpool’s manager was asked if he felt Suarez would stay if there was no European football next season, Rodgers replied: “At this stage, I believe so. He deserves to be playing in Europe. Steven Gerrard deserves to be playing in Europe as well. We have a number of players who deserve it.

“Luis has been brilliant this year but I haven’t seen anything that would make me feel he wouldn’t be here.

“I had a great conversation with his agent a couple of weeks ago. He came in and rolled it out that Luis was so happy here and he was keen over the next couple of years for the club to progress.

“I was talking about the future and development and his agent agreed that Luis is loving it here,” Rodgers said.

“His desire is to see Liverpool progress. If we can keep supporting him and can get the team moving forward, then he seems content.”

On Saturday, Rodgers said the in-form striker should be named player of the year after the Uruguayan grabbed a hat-trick in the 4-0 win at Wigan.

Suarez took his Premier League goal tally for the season to 21 - and 28 in all competitions - as the Merseysiders moved into seventh spot in the table.

“For me there is not a better striker at the moment,” said Rodgers.

“He is clearly the player of the year for myself and for many people around the country. He is absolutely incredible. Forget about his quality, it is his hunger and desire.

“He never wants to have an easy day and every time he comes onto the pitch he produces stunning performances and gives his maximum.

“It was a brilliant hat-trick for him and a great day for the team: to get the goals and a clean sheet was terrific.”

- The Daily Mail, with inputs from AFP