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Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan has warned Arsenal that they need Luis Suarez to become genuine title contenders.

The Gunners have had two bids for Suarez rejected by Liverpool – despite believing that they had triggered a buy-out clause in the Uruguayan's contract by offering £40million and a pound.

Forlan, 34, says Arsene Wenger must now test the Anfield giants' resolve further by ­upping the ante to £50m.

Otherwise, the Londoners face being once again left in the Premier League slipstream of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

Forlan, who won the title with United in 2003, feels that Wenger has suffered in ­recent years because he has never replaced talisman Thierry Henry.

“Only Luis knows what his plans are – but he would be a great signing for Arsenal,” said Forlan, a Uruguay team-mate of Suarez.

“Of course, Arsenal are a very strong team, but, for the last years, they have not been able to compete with Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea for the title.

“They have had very good players, but have maybe lacked that one special player who you need to win a league as strong as the Premier League.

“United have had Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie and City have had Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez. But Arsenal have struggled since Thierry Henry left.

“If they manage to sign Luis, then I think, with the players they already have, they would be serious title contenders again.”

Suarez will pull on a Liverpool shirt for the first time, since publicly demanding to be allowed to leave Liverpool, when the Reds face the Thailand national team in Bangkok today.

Kop boss Brendan Rodgers refuses to take the 26-year-old out of the firing line – even though Suarez is banned for the first six games of the new campaign as he completes the 10-match punishment meted out for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic last season.

The friendly at the Rajamangala Stadium is a 50,000 sell-out and it will be interesting to see how Liverpool’s fans greet Suarez.

Liverpool want £55m for the striker after insisting that the £40m clause in his contract only gives him the right to talk to interested clubs.

The Anfield club have told both the player and his adviser that he must also submit an official transfer request before they will even consider selling him.

Suarez is less than 12 months into the ­six-year contract Liverpool handed him last summer, which doubled his wages to £120,000 a week.

Arsenal are set to bid £42.5m and are willing to increase his salary to £150,000 a week.

But Liverpool have made it clear that they will only contemplate selling the striker to a Premier League rival at a premium price.

Suarez seemed to be angling for a move to Real Madrid when he first spoke out about his unhappiness with life at Anfield just ­before he played for Uruguay in last month’s Confederations Cup in Brazil.

He insisted that he was being driven out of the Premier League by media intrusion.

But, although Real are still in the market for a striker to replace Gonzalo Higuain, following the Argentine’s departure to Napoli, the ­Spanish giants have cooled their interest in Suarez as they concentrate all their resources and powers of persuasion on Gareth Bale.

While Arsenal are able to offer Champions League football to Suarez next season, ­Liverpool are still waiting for him to explain exactly how life is going to be less stressful living in London.

The Merseysiders are still hopeful that he will commit himself to Liverpool for the ­coming season as Rodgers looks to build his own team capable of returning to Europe’s top club competition.