Luis Suarez, the rebel without a clause

Luis Suarez's interview with the UK Telegraph was brutal, revealing and emphatic. He went in hard. He showed that he can bark and bite. Compared to the early noises he made this summer, this was thunder. The former Ajax man accused Liverpool of broken promises and demanded loyalty. Arsenal fans were sent into delirium, while the Kop faithfuls hurled causes at their star player.

But then, we were not completely shocked. The Uruguay international has a knack for being a nuisance - whether it's with fellow players on the pitch or some of the interviews he has granted. The 26-year-old also confirmed that he had sought the help of the Professional Footballers' Association, to help him resolve his contract dispute with Liverpool.

As it now seems, his way out is not exactly smooth and straight. Suarez, his agent Pere Guardiola and his lawyer are of the opinion that they have a legally binding clause, which allows the striker to leave, if an offer over £40m is received. Liverpool do not and nor do the PFA or the Premier League.

PFA chief Peter Gordon said: "If you are going to have a supposed buy-out clause it should be that, but it is different as it says if there is no qualification for the Champions League [by Liverpool] and if there is a minimum offer of £40million then the parties will get around the table to discuss things but it does not say the club has to sell. It quite clearly states £40million is a minimum offer for discussions, but it becomes really difficult with such clauses."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, clearly disappointed at Suarez's tirade, denied ever making promises to the player. "There were no promises made, categorically none and no promises broken," he told reporters in Norway, after Liverpool's friendly game on Wednesday night. "Obviously, the remarks I've read, it is bitterly disappointing, but my job is bigger than that. My job is to fight and protect the club."

His job might be to find a replacement for Suarez sooner than later. When the Uruguay international starts trouble, he doesn't end it swiftly. If he fails with the legal aspect, the next step will be to submit a transfer request. Alternatively, both clubs can settle this matter amicably (a word both Wenger and Suarez have used in recent interviews) and meet at a fee between £43m and £50m. Suarez is pissed, Liverpool feel disrespected and Wenger is on standby. Whatever the conclusion, this marriage must be broken.

London is calling! Let Rooney and Suarez go

As an Arsenal fan, one of the most bizarre departures, was Robin van Persie to Manchester United. I remember seeing a couple of tweets about a contentious statement the Dutchman had released - which of course made his position untenable. Now, as much as I would have loved RVP to stay at the Emirates, he clearly had other plans. At 29, his age clock winding down, he knew it was the point he had to make a career-changing decision. Manchester United missed out on the League on goals difference the season before, Van Persie finished the season as highest goalscorer. The marriage was perhaps inevitable.

Every summer comes with its circus. This year, the hottest properties in football have been Edinson Cavani, Radamel Falcao, Cesc Fabregas, Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney. Cavani and Falcao's transfers were conducted rather swiftly. Few teams in the world can stand up to the financial might of Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco these days.

For Bale, Rooney and Suarez, the drama is twisted and about to get ugly - especially with the latter two. Both have expressed their desire to an extent publicly to leave their respective clubs. Their managers response has been similar and firm: They are not for sale. How many times have we heard that and few weeks later, the player had moved on?

It's becoming a worrying trend in football. Players are mercernaries. There is nothing like loyalty. Only few players see out their careers with one club in modern football. The lure of money, fame, environment and bigger platform, is always a bait too tempting to turn down. Bale wants the glamour of Madrid, Suarez wants Champions League football, Rooney wants new surroundings away from Old Trafford. Of the trio, only Bale is close to achieving his ambitions, while Manchester United and Liverpool hold on unnecessarily to their strikers.

I said unnecessarily, because no manager should keep a player who wants to leave. David Moyes has not said a lot recently about Rooney, but Brendan Rodgers has almost become a clown talking about Suarez staying. The Uruguayan's body language has been terrible ever since he returned for pre-season training and he ignored the Anfield crowd, even though they cheered him. Both managers have big seasons ahead of them. Moyes is clearly coming to terms, with what it means to succeed Ferguson, while Rodgers must ensure Liverpool return to the upper echelon of football in England. It will be better if they got rid of their unsettled men early and brought in replacements. We are getting irritated with sermons of loyalty. These days, only one thing matters: desire.

Why it will be wise for Liverpool to let Suarez go

In this age and time, clubs have little or no influence over their players. The powers these heavily paid superstars wield, is almost incredible. Time and time again, they get their heads turned by a bigger club or a better offer and they demand to leave. With the emergence of clubs like Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and other clubs financed by oil money, meeting release clauses or paying obscene amounts, is easier than waving a wand.

£40,000,001. That's the value of the latest bid Arsenal have slapped in for Luis Suarez. The Uruguay international, who is currently in the middle of a 10-game domestic ban, has used every interview possible to make it clear that he wants out. Arsene Wenger has definitely been given some encouragement by Suarez's people and that is why he is going all out for him. The Gunners boss has abandoned his chase of Gonzalo Higuain and is pulling out all the stops to land the former Ajax man.

Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers need to be sensible. You can't keep unhappy players. It disrupts your plans and team harmony. And Suarez is the type whose body language says it. The dangerous part, is that the player can legally talk to Arsenal and if that happens, a transfer request might not be too far away.

I'm still shocked that Arsene Wenger has bid that much for a player. It is almost three times their club record. it simply means he is ready for business once more. A lot of big names have been linked with moves to the Emirates, but Suarez's possible arrival will make an emphatic statement of intent. However, they need to quickly tie this one up, before Real Madrid throw a seductive glance at the Liverpool man.

Guardiola, you are greedy and selfish!

Banter is the juice of football. We look for the slightest opportunity to taunt a rival club or team and these days, we even taunt a rival league. It is what fuels our passion, makes us scream and others go on hunger strike. However, as much as we cheered on and tweeted with glee after Bayern Munich confirmed Thiago Alcantara's signing, let us take a moment and question the sense in all of it.

The history of this matter is simple. Chelsea have failed in signing their prime targets, Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falcao, while Arsene Wenger is still sending in random bids for Gonzalo Higuain and Luis Suarez. This has left both sets of fans irritated and impatient in equal measure. And when it appeared David Moyes was going to show us how it's done by signing Thiago, the United fans began to brag and rub it in.

Pep Guardiola had other ideas. Despite signing Mario Gotze for a record fee of around €37m to add to a list of fantastic midfielders he already has, the former Barcelona coach still decided to activate his former protege's release clause. From the moment he indicated his interest, it was a no-brainer and United were outmuscled. It was our turn to gloriously smear mud on United fans' faces.

On the other hand, what exactly is Guardiola's point? His midfield options include Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Gotze, Javi Martinez and the Ribery/Robben axis surely have the wings locked down. So what was the desperate need for Thiago? In trying to get one over his former club and United, Guardiola has proven how greedy and self-centered he is, while Thiago's decision is also baffling. Is he swapping Nou Camp's bench for the one in the Allianz Arena?

For a team that bullied Germany and Europe into complete submission last season, Guardiola didn't need to make major changes, not to talk of rocking the boat and sending mixed messages to the players.

How Higuain's move to Arsenal can be a game changer

Type 'Higuain' in the search box of your Twitter client. You will be humoured, irritated and intrigued at the same time. From the lame jokes about his medicals or travel time, to Gooners begging the Arsenal's official website to finally announce the deal, the updates trickle in by the second. One might be forced to wonder what the fuss about.

Let me tell you. The Argentine is almost likely not to be on the list of top 10 footballers of any serious pundit or fun, but he is one of the deadliest finishers around. Whether with either foot or his head, the Real Madrid forward knows the way to goal. At the end of last season, he declared his intentions to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after six years, for a fresh challenge. In the last few weeks, Arsenal have become hot favourites for his signature. It has not happened yet as I write, but we are made to believe it is very close.

And yes, it is a big deal. For Arsene and Arsenal, the 2013/2014 season is their chance. Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped down as Manchester United's manager, and has taken his influence and charisma along. David Moyes has been appointed as his successor. The Scot might have not won a major trophy in his managerial career, but I think he is the right choice. However, his introduction to life at the higher level is as tough as it can be. From trying to keep former protégé Wayne Rooney to his first six fixtures in the new season, Moyes is saddled with a heavy task. Somewhere in Manchester too, Manuel Pellegrini has arrived in England and will take time to get a firm grasp of the rough and tumble.

Mourinho is back in England. He would have preferred to be in Moyes' shoes, but his threatics means he is stuck in a marriage of convenience with Chelsea. So far in the transfer market, he has not worked wonders like he did the first time around. Schurrle looks rather lightweight for the Premier League and van Ginkel is surely one for the future. Cavani has not arrived yet, because Abramovich is baulking at Napoli's value for the striker. Which means Torres and Ba are still the recognised strikers Chelsea have.

If Wenger seals a deal for Higuain, he will be getting a powerful frontman, who can guarantee at least 20-25 goals a season. Last campaign, Olivier Giroud led the line well, but missed too many chances. Higuain's numbers at River Plate and Madrid say it all. Although, his purchase will definitely smash Arsenal's transfer fee and wage structure, he is worth every million. His arrival, along with Fellaini/Rooney/Fabregas/Cesar, will not only add experience to the squad, but also send a loud and clear message to their rivals, that the chains of debt are broken and their manager is ready to bring glory back to the club and their fans.

WANTED: Strikers for the Super Eagles

It's not time to press the panic button, but we certainly should be worried. Forget the 6-1 scoreline from Monday night. Nigeria desperately need players, who can simply tuck the ball into the net. The days when we used to have powerful, hungry and clinical forwards like Rashidi Yekini, Samson Siasia, Daniel Amokachi, etc. are now a distant memory. Perhaps, it is more shocking that Segun Odegbami, who stopped playing for the national team in 1982, is our second all-time highest goal scorer with a measly 24 goals. Yekini, of course leads that chart with 37 goals.

Let's move on quickly from those not-too-impressive stats. The Super Eagles were not crowned African champions by luck. I won't buy that. A certain Emmanuel Emenike, led the line brilliantly. It was a such a refreshing sight to have a battering ram in the national team. A player in the mould of Didier Drogba, who will not only bully defenders, but knows where the goalpost is. His physical presence has been sorely missed since he picked up a thigh injury. We can't also deny we haven't missed Victor Moses' trickery and width or Ogenyi Onazi's bite and aggression.

However, against Tahiti, a side making its debut in an FIFA organised competition, the profligacy took on embarassing proportions. Emenike's deputies, Brown Ideye and Anthony Ujah, failed their auditions woefully. 22-year-old Ujah, who surprisingly stands at 6'1, was Stephen Keshi's preferred starter. The FC Köln striker, who was largely anonymous, as Musa and Oduamadi provided action from the wings, latched onto a loose pass and sprinted towards goal, where he came face to face with Samin, in goal for Tahiti. Faced with the option of squaring the ball to Echiejile, Ujah attempted a weak dribble and the keeper gathered the ball comfortably. Ideye was no better when he came on. Apart from trying desperately to get on the end of an own-goal, the only notable thing he did, was miss two sitters, although he set up Oduamadi for his hat-trick.

Surely, we don't expect to have as much possession against Uruguay and Spain, which logically implies there will be fewer chances created. The game against the South Americans will decide if we will go an further in the Confederations Cup. Even the biggest believer knows too well, that we will not get a sniff against Spain. Interestingly, the Spaniards most times favour the 'false nine' formation, where they start with six midfielders and no out and out striker. It is a problem ever country prays to have. However, ours is a simple one. We need to start looking for players that can score, when we manage to create the chances.

The Happy One? You were never sad, Mourinho!

250 journalists obediently crammed into a room. There were 40 TV crews present in the building. These are numbers that confirmed that Jose Mourinho is box-office. Monday was his official unveiling, after he completed his second coming to Stamford Bridge and it was a fantastic opportunity for pressman to eat from his table.

Fashionably late for the occasion, the former Real Madrid arrived to a million camera flashes and desperate yelps from cameramen. He took his time to pose for pictures, revelling in the affection the English media has for him.

And then, it was time to milk the soundbites.

The first question flew out. "Are you still the Special One?"

"I am the Happy One," he said. It was almost instant. And that statement alone has become headlines for all the major sports websites and blogs I read.

This, is why we - this writer included - absolutely love the Portuguese showman. Articulate, blunt, engaging and armed with charisma.

However, as intriguing as that statement is, I find it hard to wrap my head around it. Was there ever a time when Mourinho was sad? I think not. From FC Porto to Inter Milan to Real Madrid, it has always been about him. He always sought absolute control, influenced every decision and before you knew it, he was on a flight to another country.

Like he admitted at the unveiling, he was never one to stay long. It was all an adventure playing with rich owners' cheque books, to fund his insatiable appetite for trophies.

He said: "My adventure around Europe was fantastic for me. I think, for this moment, with my 50th birthday, I am still very young. It is the beginning of a new period."

In the last three years, it has not gone his way and the 50-year-old has aged badly and been brought down to earth.

"When I was managing for the first time. I thought I knew everything. After managing for 13 years, your realise you know nothing," he quipped.

The Manchester clubs snubbed him. Pep Guardiola snubbed Abramovich. There was no other option than a reunion between Abramovich and Mourinho, who he denied falling apart with.

"I am returning to a house where I was happy and successful. The expectations are higher because people know what I can deliver. I know this club has a special fan base, a special club.

"I need a special family and this club gives me this."

That word 'special' again. Yes, I agree you are special, Jose. But it is time to weave your magic, like only, absolutely can. Sugar-coated words will not be your salvation this time around.