Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez has made it clear that he would like to leave Liverpool this summer. [Reuters]

Former Liverpool midfielder John Barnes believes that Brendan Rodgers must act quickly and accept an offer for Luis Suarez as it is detrimental to keep an unhappy player at the club.

The Uruguay international has made it publically clear that he wants to play Champions League football and has even suggested that he would be prepared to stay in England to achieve this dream.

Arsenal have already seen two bids rejected by Liverpool for the controversial striker, but Barnes feels that Rodgers should accept a reasonable offer so that he has time to find an adequate replacement.

"We've seen in the past when transfers go down to the last minute that it doesn't help anybody, especially for a club like Liverpool who, if they lose Suarez, would have to find a big-name replacement," Barnes told Talksport.

"I'd like it to be done sooner rather than later because if it goes down to the last day, and you then have to go and get somebody, it's not ideal.

"As far as Suarez is concerned, if he's not going to be happy, then he has to go.

"We can all say, 'yes, we think Suarez is going to be a player like Carlos Tevez, who gives 100 per cent no matter what' but we don't know what his mental state is going to be if he doesn't get his wish [to leave Liverpool]."

Rodgers has suggested that Suarez will remain at the club beyond this summer but there is a belief that Arsenal may return with an improved offer as Arsene Wenger desperately seeks to sign a world class forward.

With just over one month remaining until the transfer window closes, Liverpool would have to work quickly to find a suitable replacement for Suarez but they would likely have more than £40m in the bank if they cashed-in.