Luis Suarez Reveals Liverpool Manager Brendan Rodgers 'Convinced Him to Snub Juventus' in 2012

Former Liverpool star Luis Suarez has revealed he was close to moving to Juventus in summer 2012 but manager Brendan Rodgers convinced him to stay for another two seasons.

The Uruguay international moved to Anfield from Ajax during the January transfer window in 2011, after the Merseyside club paid around £22m to secure his services just as Fernando Torres was departing to Chelsea.

Suarez quickly became a key asset for then manager Kenny Dalglish and after scoring 11 Premier League goals in the 2011/12 campaign, the striker revealed Juventus approached him regarding a move to Serie A.

But Rodgers, who had just arrived to Merseyside to replace Dalglish, convinced him to stay at Anfield after a meeting at Melwood.

"The first talk I had with him was at Melwood, just before he would have been named manager. It wasn't a long talk, he wanted to talk with me because there was a possibility for me to go to Juventus," Suarez revealed in his new autobiography.

"Brendan Rodgers called me [speaking] in Spanish and he told me to give him time. He told me that we had to manage the ball and to play an offensive game."

Suarez was attracted for Rodgers' fresh ideas and decided to stay at Anfield, scoring 30 goals in the 2012/13 campaign while netting 31 times in the following term to lead Liverpool back to the Champions League.

Rodgers wanted to keep Suarez at Liverpool for the return to the Champions League this season, along with the challenge of going one better in the Premier League.

However, following the incident between Suarez and Giorgio Chiellini, where the striker bit the Italian defender during a World Cup game, the Uruguay international decided to end his spell in the Premier League and complete a £75m move to Barcelona.

After serving a four-month ban, the former Liverpool star made his debut with the Catalans on Saturday 25 October, during the 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid.