Kenny Dalglish closes in on £18m Luis Suarez

LIVERPOOL were last night on the verge of sealing a deal for Ajax striker Luis Suarez as owners the Fenway Sports Group prepared to flex their muscles.

Liverpool were on the verge of signing Luis Suarez last night Liverpool were on the verge of signing Luis Suarez last night

egotiations with the Dutch side were continuing for Uruguayan striker Suarez as Kenny Dalglish edged closer to making the first signing of his second spell as manager at Anfield.

Holland international Ryan Babel has been mooted as a potential makeweight in a package worth around £18million, although Ajax’s financial problems mean they would prefer any deal to be straight cash.

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However, their bargaining power has been reduced by Suarez’s insistence on a move to Merseyside coming off and Ajax are mindful of the manner in which the prolific forward, who is 24 later this month, joined them in the first place.

Suarez went to Dutch football’s arbitration committee in 2007 to try to secure a move from Groningen to Ajax.

Liverpool were on the verge of signing Luis Suarez last night

Although he lost the case, relations with Groningen were so strained that he got his wish anyway and Ajax coach Frank de Boer is mindful of being left with a player who has told his team-mates he wants to join Liverpool.

FSG, headed by principal owner John W Henry, are ready to spend in the January window to bolster Liverpool’s fortunes and have admitted that caretaker manager Dalglish is a contender to remain in power at the end of the season.

The clubs were at first believed to be more than £8m apart on a price for Suarez. Liverpool were offering £12.5m but Ajax wanted at least £21m.

Dalglish has identified Suarez, who has also attracted interest from Tottenham, to ease the pressure and workload on Fernando Torres.

And the club’s owners believe Suarez’s age and potential makes him a worthwhile investment.

Liverpool’s new chairman Tom Werner has hinted Dalglish could be offered the job beyond the summer.

“He’s extremely competent, excellent at man-management, he knows the philosophy of the club and has been everything we could have hoped for,” said Werner.

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