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Liverpool eye Sanchez in Suarez talks

Mike Whalley | ESPN FC
July 2, 2014
Luis Suarez has been a Liverpool player since joining from Ajax in 2011 © Getty Images
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Barcelona are set to officially begin their bid to buy Luis Suarez when a club delegation meets Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre in London on Wednesday.

Raul Sanllehi, Barca's director of football management, is expected to lead the delegation in discussions with Ayre, sources have told ESPN.

Liverpool's chief executive will also use the meeting in an attempt to make progress with an attempt to sign Barcelona's Chile international forward Alexis Sanchez.

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Suarez looks increasingly likely to leave Anfield, although Liverpool are adamant that they will only sell if a contract release clause - reported to be between £70-80 million - is met.

Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, who has said the club are considering offers for Sanchez , has publicly praised Suarez this week.

The striker has just begun a four-month worldwide ban from all football activity, imposed by FIFA after he bit defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's 1-0 World Cup Group D win over Italy in the Brazilian city of Natal on June 24. That ban, however, does not extend to transfers, FIFA has confirmed.

Having claimed in his submission to a disciplinary panel that the bite was accidental, Suarez admitted to the bite on Monday as he issued an apology on Twitter.

It has been suggested that the Spanish giants insisted on an apology if the transfer was to proceed.

Suarez ended up staying at Liverpool last summer despite giving several interviews stating that he wanted to leave, with the Reds rejecting two bids from Arsenal. He signed a contract extension last December, committing him to staying at Anfield until 2018, although the inclusion of a release clause did leave the door open to an exit.

Manager Brendan Rodgers is an admirer of Sanchez, who helped Chile reach the World Cup's last 16 before they were eliminated on penalties by hosts Brazil on Saturday.

It is not yet clear, though, whether the 25-year-old is interested in a move to Anfield.

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