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Arsene Wenger has revealed Luis Suarez “agreed” to join Arsenal - and why they bid £40,000,001.

Wenger has recalled one of the most famous transfer sagas in football history when Arsenal tried to sign Suarez from Liverpool in the summer of 2013.

Liverpool owner John Henry publicly mocked Arsenal for making the extraordinary offer with an extra £1 to activate a clause with his infamous tweet “What are they smoking over there at the Emirates?”

But Wenger, in an interview with beIN Sports, insists that Suarez wanted to move to Arsenal and a deal had been done and challenged anyone to ask Suarez who joined Barcelona a year later.

Wenger said: “He was very close (to signing for Arsenal). We had an agreement with the player. We had been wrongly advised that he had a clause, with a minimal clause, but we had an agreement with the player. You can ask him.

(Image: Andrew Powell)

(Image: Alex Livesey)

“I'm convinced he wanted to join us and then they sold him. They kept him one more year, improved his contract and promised to sell him the year later to a club abroad."

Wenger also praised Suarez’s behaviour in recent times after cleaning up his act following several high profile storms, including his biting shame.

When asked on his previous behaviour, Wenger added: “It's not normal. You cannot accept that. He had some behaviours that were shocking but I think as well you don't see them anymore since two, three years.

(Image: Getty) (Image: Action Images via Reuters / Carl Recine)

“He got rid of all the things that were a handicap for him and today you don't see that anymore. He's still on borderline with what the strikers do well, you know, go down in the penalty box but you want that from an intelligent striker.

“Overall I think he got rid of all the rest and rightly so and he deserved to be punished before and now you don't even expect it anymore from him."​