Luis Suarez has a £40m buy out clause in his Liverpool contract (Tony Barrett radio interview)

Top Liverpool-based journalist Tony Barrett gave a terrifically insightful interview on Thursday morning discussing the future of Luis Suarez at Anfield.

Barrett, who works for The Times of London, was interviewed by Liverpool-based radio station City Talk 105.9 the morning after Suarez appeared to engineer a move to Real Madrid following an interview on Uruguayan radio.

According to Barrett, whilst Suarez’s departure from Liverpool is far for done and dusted, the journalist did admit that the striker’s future does look to be away from Merseyside.

Barrett told City Talk 105.9:

A lot of people have been waiting for it. It’s been inevitable… after he was banned for biting… he was always considering his future. When the story comes it’s a question of when rather than if. Everyone was expecting it comes and last night was the time.

Suarez is looking to leave now. Real Madrid are looking at him…. It’s a come and get me message… All Liverpool can ask for is that it happens early, quickly, and they get the best price for him…[Suarez] is trying to give the club and himself a way out [of Anfield]… Liverpool will get a good price and he’ll get a good move.

Brendan Rodgers would get whatever the proceeds are [to reinvest]… I think the [£40m buy-out] clause is there. It’s inconceivable that it isn’t, to be honest. Suarez signed a contract last summer at a time when it was doubtful whether Liverpool would qualify for the Champions League the following season, so when that happens agents of top players sit down and say ‘we want an insurance policy for the event of Liverpool not playing at the elite level’… I’m lead to believe that [Suarez] has a £40m buy out clause.

Listen to Tony Barrett’s excellent radio interview below.