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The biggest transfer rumour doing the rounds at the moment is that Liverpool forward Luis Suarez is right at the top of incoming Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola’s summer shopping list and while at the moment that is merely conjecture, how the club deal with the issue could hold the key to its immediate future.

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have by and large got plenty of big decisions wrong during their time in charge of the club so far, ranging from spending ludicrous amounts of money on relatively unproven players, to hiring a manager that had been out of the game for far too long to dithering hugely over the stadium issue. Even when they have tried to show leadership over certain matters, they have often chosen the wrong path and the business of football has been a completely alien environment to them with a steep learning curve to boot. The likes of John W. Henry and Tom Werner seem inherently cautious people when it comes to their dealings with the club, which is why the future of the Uruguayan striker is such a cause for concern.

There’s a very real worry that they will see the offer put on the table for Suarez, which would have to be in the region fo £40m for them to even consider selling, judge it a reasonable one and consent to his sale, which could have a potentially damaging impact on the team’s fortunes in the short-term and whether they will be capable of competing with the top four and slowing down the regression they have been guilty of in recent years.

As the old saying goes, ‘no one player is bigger than the club’, but it’s a cliche of little substance by ex-pros clearly clueless on how to deal in anything other than meaningless, empty platitudes. The 26-year-old has been absolutely key in the club even competing for a final league position inside the top eight this season, and without him it’s not even worth thinking about where they would be. His departure could hurt the club more than any single sale since the one that saw Xabi Alonso leave for Real Madrid.

Liverpool have a history when it comes to dreadful negotiation tactics; with Alonso, Rafa Benitez practically backed him into a corner with such a public pursuit of the clearly inferior Gareth Barry as his replacement, while Roy Hodgson couldn’t even get Javier Mascherano on the phone during the summer to address his future, leading to the player refusing to play just before a game away at Manchester City.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is often a leading light when it comes to tough negotiating to the extent that it looks like he’s willing to walk away from the table at any given moment is certain deals aren’t met. This saw Real Madrid have to fork out north of £30m for Luka Modric in the summer and sign a landmark ‘commercial partnership’ package which has the potential to be worth just as much over the next few years in terms of sponsorship deals.

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Granted, the club could have sold Modric to Chelsea for £40m a window or two earlier, therefore strengthening a direct rival for a top four spot, but in biding their time and refusing to compromise below the £30m mark that Madrid deemed too high, they got a deal that allowed them the freedom in the transfer market to go out and sign Mousa Dembele, Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen.

Sometimes there is an argument to be made that the amount gleaned from such a big deal outweighs the value of a player as it allows you to rebuild the side and strengthen more than two or three positions at once, but Liverpool have had enough of shopping around the bargain bin in the past and the transfer bracket of between £8-12m, with very little success. For once they have a player of genuine quality and he is more important than any single figure at the club at this moment in time.

It might not sound fantastic to be so beholden to a player and it takes a certain amount of pride to admit as much, but Liverpool are not in a position of strength at this moment in time, rather a period of transition and whether it be £40m or £50m, they need Suarez more than he needs them. From the player’s point of view, you can hardly argue with a desire to test himself on the highest stage of the Champions League on a consistent basis playing under a manager like Guardiola, particularly when Liverpool are clearly incapable of offering him a similar package for the foreseeable future. Demanding loyalty in a game where none exists is simply unrealistic.

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It’s not only his goals this season that have stood out, Suarez’s leadership when things aren’t going the team’s way has seen him become alongside captain Steven Gerrard the one player that everyone else looks to, while his versatility and ability to create chances from open play mark him out as a much more complete player than they even had with the world-class Fernando Torres during his superb spell on Merseyside.

Just as Robin van Persie leaving Arsenal in the summer for Manchester United was widely seen as a statement of intent from Old Trafford as much as it was a signal that the Gunners lacked ambition, should FSG refuse to keep hold of Suarez due to the lure of money, even putting aside the substantive damage, the symbolic gesture alone could crush a fragile regime built on soft foundations.

The question as to whether Arsenal should splash out on Luis Suarez was one that was explored countless times during the summer. Ahead of the January transfer window, not a whole lot has changed.

It was a heated debate back in the summer, one which stepped well over the mark a number of times due to the hostility that is generated by Suarez’s name. It was put to bed, fortunately. Sometimes you have to look a little further than just the qualities of a footballer. Half of the Arsenal support rejoiced; they wouldn’t have to see him in their colours. The other half saw it as a golden opportunity missed.

I didn’t see much sense in it. Going immediately to the starting point, why would Liverpool want to sell to Arsenal? They’re certainly glad they didn’t. Would they have been second in the Premier League if they had? What about the gap Arsenal would have created between themselves and second place?

And then there’s the reintroduction of whether fans want to see a player like Suarez at Arsenal. But why bring that up again? It’s tired and been done to death.

Arsenal need another striker in January – we can all agree to that. It’s not life or death, as some people will have you believe. Fortunately for the club, there is a German international who has spent a large chunk of his career playing through the middle as a centre-forward, both for Bayern Munich and Koln. But it’s easy to overlook that for the sake of argument.

The problem is depth. If you move Lukas Podolski away from the flank and into the middle, that essentially leaves Arsenal one player light in midfield. There shouldn’t be any concerns about Podolski’s ability in front of goal; he’s the best finisher at the club. But Arsenal need more if they’re to sustain this charge on silverware.

The answer isn’t Suarez. The only way Suarez becomes the ideal candidate is if we’re forced to accept that there isn’t another striker available in world football. Another factor in this argument in favour of the Uruguayan at Arsenal is the assumption that the club need a world-class centre-forward. Olivier Giroud isn’t world class, but what if the club had two of him? They’d be alright, yes?

Suarez has one destination. Real Madrid will eventually allow Karim Benzema to move on, more than likely due to pressure from the support, and not because Florentino Perez will be all too keen to let him go. Of course, Radamel Falcao could fill that gap for Madrid – and Sergio Aguero is another option that is often overlooked – but that doesn’t seem too likely, as least not as likely as Suarez.

The bridge has been burnt between Arsenal and Liverpool. John Henry will simply not allow for that level of strengthening of a direct rival, no matter the cash on offer. Realistic cash I mean.

For Arsenal, the development and contribution of Giroud will prove to be the bright spot in losing out on Suarez. I raised the point that the Frenchman isn’t quite world class, but then the same has been said about Mario Gomez, yet the German more or less guarantees goals wherever he goes. An investment in or around the £10 million mark can bring about as much success as those who would command fees of at least four or five times that amount.

They don’t have to be world class, just good enough. And for a club of Arsenal’s resources, there are plenty of other options besides Suarez.

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Should Arsenal break the bank for Suarez in January?

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It is perhaps the clash of ideology between the two managers that will take centre stage at the Emirates as much as what transpires on the pitch for the Capital One Cup tie of Round 4, maybe more.

Since Arsenal last won a trophy, the Special One has totted up 16. Indeed, in 10 seasons of club management Jose has won seven national league titles, in four different countries, as well as the Champions League, twice and the UEFA Cup. And that period includes his eight-month sabbatical in 2007-08.

Neither played football at the highest level, Jose plied his trade in the Portuguese Second Division while the summit of Wenger`s playing career was 11 appearances in three years for Racing Club Strasbourg.

It is a very subjective matter as to how much the lack of a top-flight playing career has influenced and moulded the managerial approach of the two men.

Arsene Wenger has stuck, stoically, to his philosophy of fluent, flowing football in his tenure at Arsenal, now the longest in British football. Conversely, ever the pragmatist, Jose has done what Jose felt was best at any given time and when you take several moments to reel off his glittering CV who could argue that approach does not work.

If football is a results-driven industry then trophy stats take that directive to an even higher level.

The paradox to the argument of purist versus pragmatist is that when Jose tried to impose his philosophy at Real Madrid it backfired spectacularly but, and it is an important but, it fell down spectacularly when it came to the Champions League.

When he first arrived at the Bernabeu, Mourinho promptly guided Real to success in the Copa del Rey, the first time they won that trophy for 18 years and their first trophy of any kind for three seasons. The following season, 2012, Real set all kinds of new records as they won La Liga for the first time in four years and they then won the Super Cup BUT, when it came to the trophy that mattered most, the Champions League, Jose failed.

For a trophy that is regarded by Real Madrid as their own to watch as Barca, particularly, lorded it was too much for the club hierarchy and they and the Special One parted company.

Wenger`s success, in terms of building teams that are easy on the eye, is built on persuasion where as Jose does seem to elbow anyone who doesn`t toe his particular line of pragmatism.

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Arsene seems to accommodate flair and individuality as long as it doesn`t adversely impact on the team ethic which invariably it does not or he doesn`t sign them or keep them. Jose on the other hand insists that his players sublimate their individual approach to that of the team as a whole.

In fact, if you look at it that way, there isn`t too much difference between what the two managers demand of their players, only the ways in which they put it over, which can only enhance expectation of THE tie of Round 4 of the Capital One Cup.

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As we reach the halfway point of the season, Arsene Wenger will be more than aware Friday night’s clash with Liverpool could have a huge say in whether his Arsenal side return to the Premier League’s top four come the end of the campaign.

The Gunners and the Reds are separated by just one point in the Premier League table and while a win at the Emirates Stadium will see them take the visitors’ place in the top six, a defeat or draw would allow them to be leapfrogged by bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur. To ensure his side come out with an all-important victory, Wenger must find the right answers to these three crucial questions…

Is Alexis Sanchez committed enough to start?

Liverpool’s 4-0 defeat at Anfield back in August showed how important it is to have everybody pulling in the same direction against Jurgen Klopp’s side, who pride themselves on the high-pressing energy they inject into games. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was perhaps the biggest culprit that afternoon, the match coming a mere matter of days before he joined Liverpool, but the danger for Friday night is undoubtedly Alexis Sanchez.

He’s still the Gunners’ most potent attacking threat on paper but the Chile international just hasn’t performed to the same levels this season and his form has particularly waned ahead of the January transfer window – something which, when coupled with his contract situation, suggests Sanchez is hoping for a mid-season move. It’s human nature for him to be a little off the boil under such circumstances and Wenger must consider whether a half-committed Sanchez is worth more than a fully committed alternative.

Danny Welbeck took advantage of his first start since October on Wednesday night to find a winner against West Ham and if there’s one thing the England man can never be criticised for in comparison to Sanchez, it’s the industriousness and commitment of his performances. Bearing in mind Liverpool’s high-octane style, that could well make him the better option on the left flank.

What can be learned from the reverse fixture at Anfield?

The 4-0 defeat was an incredibly humbling experience and one Arsenal must learn from. While they may boast home advantage this time around, the dynamics of the match itself won’t be all that different; Klopp’s game-plan for beating Arsenal centred around soaking up pressure before hitting them with pace out wide on the counter-attack and considering how effective it was back in August, Liverpool are likely to set up in a similar manner at the Emirates Stadium this Friday night.

Arsenal can’t simply approach the game in the same way and expect a different outcome – lessons must be taken on board and the team’s tactics must be tweaked accordingly.

That may well require changing personnel to have a more defensive presence in midfield, such as Francis Coquelin or Mohamed El Neny, who have the natural athleticism to stop those counter-attacks before they advance, or potentially even reverting back to Arsenal’s more traditional 4-2-3-1 which would give the Gunners a good chance of cancelling out Klopp’s usual 4-3-3. 3-4-3 certainly didn’t work on Merseyside.

What Liverpool weaknesses can Arsenal take advantage of?

While nobody can doubt Liverpool’s sheer potency going forward, Klopp’s side certainly isn’t without its weaknesses. Their defence perhaps isn’t as bad as often made out in the media – only five Premier League sides have conceded less than them this season – but defending at set pieces remains a key flaw away from home.

Only Leicester and Brighton have let in more goals from those scenarios on the road and Arsenal can likely take advantage of that without making too many changes to their usual set up; in contrast, they’ve scored the joint-most home goals from set pieces of any team in the division.

On top of that, Liverpool have struggled in terms of discipline away from Anfield this season.

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They’ve incurred 16 yellow cards and one red card in nine away games and while Sadio Mane’s sending off against Manchester City certainly divided opinion, it also highlighted what a disadvantage ten men can be against one of the Premier League’s top clubs – especially on the road.

If Arsenal can force Liverpool into bookings and potentially even a sending off, they’ll inevitably put Klopp’s side on the back foot.

It’s important to take note of the rise of Italian football since Juventus reclaimed the Serie A title last season in emphatic fashion. Sure, Italy’s league might not be as fashionable as it once was, with many outsiders looking to it as defend first, excite later. But you can’t hide from the rise in talent over recent years, with a great deal of players attracting attention from foreign clubs.

Both Arsenal and Tottenham will be in need of addressing a number of weaknesses in their squad, and the Italian league could prove to be a good hunting ground this summer. It’s the need to look to a market which can be exploited for one reason or another; Serie A may be experiencing a renaissance, but that doesn’t mean other clubs have to look on without taking action.

Juventus will prove to be the runaway club for the second consecutive year, and there is much to admire about the Champions League quarter-finalists. But they’re the tip of the iceberg, and there is plenty of talent to be found especially for teams like Arsenal and Tottenham.

Click on Marek Hamsik to see the full list of transfer targets

Chris Hughton says his Norwich side must believe they can get a positive result when they travel to Arsenal this weekend.

The Canaries are sure to be up against it at the Emirates when they tackle Arsene Wenger’s top-four chasing side but Hughton wants points from the game to help with his own team’s relegation fight.

“The most important one is the Arsenal game – that’s the next one. And of course we’ve got to go to Arsenal and look to get something there, as we will do in all of these last six games,” he said.

Norwich are currently just four points clear of the relegation zone and take on fellow strugglers Reading, Aston Villa and Stoke among their remaining games, with Hughton insisting they will approach them all with the same plan.

He added: “The fact we are playing the teams around us has a different bearing on it because any points we get are points they don’t get.

“But it’s going to be over these six games, three at home and three away, and our approach to the away games has to be exactly the same as the home games and must give us the opportunity to get something.”

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Probable Lineups…

Chelsea (4-5-1): Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Matic, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Costa

Despite playing 90 minutes against Sporting Lisbon in midweek, injury-prone striker Diego Costa is set to lead the line when Chelsea face the Gunners at Stamford Bridge this weekend. Jose Mourinho and his men currently lead the Premier League with 16 points out of the possible 18 and look favourites for the league title at the moment. The Blues have no major injury concerns and are set to roll out their strongest team, with Cesar Azpilicueta returning to slot in at left back in place of Filipe Luis who played in the midweek fixture. Cesc Fabregas will be facing his old club for the first time since he departed to Barcelona back in the summer of 2011.

Arsenal (4-5-1): Szczesny, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Flamini, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Sanchez, Welbeck

The Gunners have just come out of a 4-1 win over Galatasaray in midweek and will be full of confidence heading to Stamford Bridge to face the league leaders. Danny Welbeck scored a hat-trick against the Turkish outfit and will be expected to trouble the Blues back-line that has already shipped in seven goals despite their top-of-the-table position. Arsene Wenger will however be without several key players including captain Mikel Arteta, midfield goalscorer Aaron Ramsey, right-back Mathieu Debuchy, and long-term absence Olivier Giroud. Arsenal are in fourth, six points behind Chelsea and will need a victory to have any chance of catching up with Mourinho’s men.

What the fans are saying…

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There was a time when Cesc Fabregas was playing in the colours of Arsenal, even getting into a heated fight with none other than Chelsea legend Frank Lampard!

Michael Ballack believes beating Bayern Munich will prove a step too far for Arsenal, reports the Express.

The Champions League holders sit 16 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, having scored 57 goals and conceded just nine.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won their last 13 consecutive league matches, and are unbeaten in 46 domestic games.

They have won an incredible 32 of their 36 matches in all competitions this season, statistics that lead Ballack to believe Arsenal have a huge task on their hands to get any sort of result.

“The true strength of this team is that there are no weaknesses,” Ballack said.

“The way they play football – its not just about winning. It is about dominating the teams they beat. It is really impressive. They are looking to establish a dynasty and they must be among the favourites to win the European Cup again.”

Ballack spent four years with Bayern Munich before moving to Chelsea in 2006, and insists he didn’t think it was possible for the team to improve upon the performances they showed last season.

“It was difficult to think that they could have improved. But Pep has adapted very well to the team – and the team to him. This will be so tough for Arsenal,” he added.

“Bayern are now more focussed on ball possession than under Heynckes, which is typical of Guardiola. He wants to keep the ball as much as possible.

“Now they have so much of the ball they can dominate the game in every part of the field. And they make it look really, really easy, although it isn’t.

“If you are successful, it breeds more success. The biggest games so far for me this season were against Dortmund when they won 3-0 away and Man City. In these games, they showed how far they can step up.

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“Pep inherited what looked like the perfect team. That’s good, but it means a lot of pressure to do at least the same, if not more. He has done really well so far, adapating a German team and giving it some Spanish influences.”

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The summer of 2013 now seems like an eternity ago. Liverpool were very much a team in ‘transition’ and Diego Costa was a little heard of striker plying his trade for Atletico Madrid in the shadow of Radamel Falcao. Oh how, times change, while the following 18 months have seen the Reds go from title challengers back into the same state of limbo, Costa has blossomed, firing Atleti to the La Liga title and Champions League Final – which they came within minutes of winning – before securing a £30m+ move to Chelsea – which looks set to end with another title and another massive haul of goals. And the third part in this, Falcao, has slipped almost off the radar at Manchester United, via an injury ravaged spell at Monaco – but we can forget about him for now.Oh how different it could have been, though. Costa was heavily linked with Liverpool in that fateful summer, and now he’s revealed just how close he came switching to Anfield:“I was close to leaving Atletico,†he said when talking about his 2013 off-season.“Liverpool are a great team, but after fighting so hard and overcoming difficulties to get my place at Atletico, how could I leave?“I thought it was very important to keep growing with Atletico and to play there for many years.â€

Costa’s words prove how close the deal must have come to going through, and had Liverpool had Champions League football behind them instead of a seventh-placed finish, the Spain international may well have been lining up alongside Daniel Sturridge at Anfield against Blackburn yesterday rather than resting with his league-leading Chelsea team.

There are a lot of ifs and buts aligned with the whole saga, and maybe the best way to go about assessing the difference Costa could have made right now is to compare him to the man he would most like drop in for on Merseyside now: Mario Balotelli.

As the numbers show, unsurprisingly, the Brazilian-born hit-man walks all over his Italian counterpart, averaging more goals and assists, a better striker record, and even fewer yellow cards per 90 minutes. Quite a difference.

Last term the Reds did not miss the impact of such a player – Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge netted 51 league goals – but they may even have got over the line ahead of Manchester City with Costa heading up a front three with ‘SAS’ either side of him. We’ll never know.

However, the one thing we do know from the whole tale is that Liverpool seem unable to get deals over the line. In the same summer as Costa escaped their grasp, now Dortmund ace Henrikh Mkhitaryan proved unattainable, while the securing of Champions League football for this season as still not enough to lure Alexis Sanchez to the North West over the bright lights of London – and the video below shows just how costly that miss has been, too.

All of the events suggest that Liverpool are having trouble attracting the type of player needed to keep pace with Chelsea, both Manchester clubs and even Arsenal, which has contributed to the slid this term. Sturridge has impressed since his return, but the added goals and sheer presence of a player like Costa may have them in the title run-in now, instead of a desperate scrap for fourth – which they’re only involved in since Jesus appeared up at Anfield to hand Rodgers a Christmas miracle.

Simply put, Costa was the start of a worrying slide at Liverpool, and one that has signalled a changing of the times. Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson have both rejected new contract offers in recent times, while big names look away from Anfield In search of greater prospects and, probably, larger salaries. Fenway Sports Group may turn a profit, but look at the North East towards Newcastle and you’ll see the ill-feeling the shift towards making accountants smile has on supporters and football clubs.

Whomever the new Costa may be this summer, Liverpool should probably do a bit more to get him…

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Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has revealed he rejected the chance to join Manchester United before opting to sign for their rivals Man City from Arsenal.

Nasri completed a controversial £24million from the Emirates to the Etihad Stadium, a move that Arsenal fans have struggled to forgive him for, but, speaking to BeIn Sports, Nasri revealed it could’ve been Old Trafford if he had gone along with Sir Alex Ferguson’s request:

“We met with Sir Alex in Paris, in a hidden place, out of sight, so as not to fuel the rumours.

“But there was one thing that was a problem; I was asked to go to war with Arsenal to be able to join. I could not see myself doing it, especially with Arsene Wenger.

“After Man City showed their interest. Mancini called me every day during the holidays. I then decided that they really wanted me.”

“Manchester City was the first club to show interest.

“I had some doubts about the evolution of the club. Then I thought they really wanted me. They were about to sign [Sergio] Aguero and there was already [David] Silva, [Mario] Balotelli, [Carlos] Tevez.

“I had a discussion with my agents. They asked me if I wanted to make history or be a player like any other at United.

“I said “Go ahead”. I won the title in my first season, so my choice was the right one.”

Nasri, who joined Arsenal from Ligue 1 outfit Marseille in the summer of 2008, has made 109 Premier League appearances for Man City bagging 14 goals and 27 assists during that time.

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The Frenchman will face his former manager and employers this Sunday when Arsenal make the trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manuel Pellegrini’s side in the late Sunday kick-off – a win for Nasri and his team-mates would see Man City extend their lead of Arsenal to 14 points.