The Reds have so far been steadfast in their public assertion that the Uruguayan will stay, but the club legend says forcing him to remain at Anfield might do more harm than good

Jamie Carragher has warned that Liverpool cannot keep Luis Suarez if the Uruguayan is determined to force a summer exit from Anfield.

Suarez has not been shy in voicing his discontent with life in England in recent weeks, and has repeatedly spoken of his desire to one day play for Real Madrid.

Liverpool have so far remained steadfast in their public determination to keep their unsettled star, but Carragher believes forcing him to stay could do more harm than good.

“The thing about keeping unhappy players is an issue because we had that experience with Torres, and keeping him definitely wasn’t the right thing to do,” he told Sky Sports.

“Torres wasn’t the same player for about 18 months. He gave the impression of having downed tools – and that’s certainly what you don’t want.

“I do believe that Suarez is a slightly different character to Fernando Torres.

“There were times, I believe, Torres wasn’t giving his best on the pitch for Liverpool and that is why it was a mistake to keep him.

“I don’t think that will happen with Suarez, simply because of the player he is. But it is something you must be aware of.”

Suarez’s desire to join Real Madrid appears to be reciprocated by the Spanish giants, and Carragher is unsurprised that the Uruguayan is attracting such illustrious suitors.

“Luis is one of the best players in the world and, when Real Madrid come calling, it will obviously turn a player’s head – he’s obviously had his head turned, but which player wouldn’t?” added Carragher.

“Liverpool would have known they were always going to be in this situation, with other clubs calling for Luis Suarez this summer.

“If you were honest, Luis Suarez is playing in a team that finished seventh in the Premier League, but he is one of the best players in the world.

“Liverpool just can’t roll over and accept Luis Suarez will leave, but if he goes, they must get top dollar for him.

“If he was to be sold, it would be up to the club to make sure that the money was spent in the right way, after maybe not doing that after Torres went.

“They have to be decisive. They either wait for a bid they think is acceptable or they decide to keep him because he is Liverpool’s best player and they want to build a team around him.

“Whichever way, they need to act. If you lose a player late, it’s very hard to replace him at that stage of the window.”

The Anfield legend reveals his former club a looking to act fast to assemble their squad in time to hit the ground running in the new campaign

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool are looking to get their transfer business done early this summer as they look to break into the Premier League’s top four.

Striker Iago Aspas has already been signed from Celta Vigo, while Goal reported on Wednesday that Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Simon Mignolet, Christian Atsu and Luis Alberto are all being targeted by Brendan Rodgers in a €49 million summer splurge.

And Carragher has revealed his former club are moving at pace as they look to assemble their squad in time to hit the ground running in the new campaign.

“I’m sure Brendan Rodgers has learnt a lot over the last 12 months and I think he’s raring to go this season,” the 35-year-old told Sky Sports.

“I spoke to him at the end of the season and he wants to get his business done early. At the moment it looks like Liverpool are trying to get players in as quickly as possible so they are ready for the start of the season.

“They’ll look at that Stoke game – Mark Hughes’ first game as well, so they’ll be desperate to get off to a good start – it’s a good game for Liverpool. I’m sure they will be looking to get three points and hopefully use that as a platform to push on.

“The first five or six fixtures look a lot easier, on paper, than they were last season. Arsenal and Manchester City were the first two home games last year; obviously there’s a big game in there with Manchester United, the third game.

“In the first couple of games, hopefully they can get three, four, maybe six points and get off to a good start.

“That’s certainly what they need because Liverpool need to be doing a lot better in terms of challenging for the top four and getting back into the top four. They really need to make a good start.”

Sergei Palkin insists there has been no contact from Brendan Rodgers’ side but admits he club would be open to selling the 24-year-old midfielder this summer

Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin insists the club have received no bids from Liverpool for Henrikh Mkhitaryan but concedes he is willing to listen to offers for the midfielder.

Reports had suggested that Brendan Rodgers’ side are closing in on a €23 million deal for the 24-year-old Armenia international, who scored 25 league goals for the Ukrainian champions last season.

Following the departures of Willian to Anzhi Makhachkala in February, and Fernandinho to Manchester City earlier this month, Palkin claims Shakhtar want to keep Mkhitaryan at the club but would also consider selling the midfielder this summer.

“As you know, there have been too many different conversations about Henrik Mkhitaryan,” Palkin told Russian newspaper Izvestia.

“But the situation has been strongly and artificially inflated. I can say that we have had no communication from any member of Liverpool.

“Henrikh is an important player in our team. Shakhtar want to keep him but we are willing to listen and consider all proposals for his transfer.

“We have already parted with Willian and Fernandinho but the club will not just sell players. Soon we will also strengthen ourselves with quality players, designed to replace those who have left.”