Cape Town - Ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand says Liverpool should keep Luis Suarez despite his on-field antics.
Rio Ferdinand, writing in his guest column for the Daily Mail, said that if he was in Brendan Rodgers' shoes he would keep Luis Suarez and there's no point in even considering disposing of the Uruguyuan.
Ferdinand, who was released by United after the end of the 2013/14 season, was confident that based on what Suarez does on the football pitch makes him indispensable.
Ferdinand singled out Luis Suarez as the single most significant reason for the Merseyside club's success and with expectations growing at Anfield for the upcoming season, Rio stressed the need for Liverpool to keep hold of their talisman.
"It’s an easy one to make if its just a footballing decision" wrote Ferdinand.
However, football is never so simple. Rio stated that if he was the CEO of Liverpool then the Uruguayan would be the first name on the transfer list such is the risk associated with Suarez.
Keeping Suarez may potentially cost Liverpool tens of millions of pounds. Perhaps £70 million or more.
Ferdinand weighed in on the potential transfer to Spain where Barcelona seem to be ready to launch a significant transfer bid.
Can Liverpool risk keeping Suarez only for him to bite again and be thrown out of the game for years?
Ferdinand's answer is a simple "No".
The Manchester United stalwart understands how tough it will be to replace Suarez but is confident in Rodgers' ability to reinvest wisely with a proven striker and with the backup already at Anfield in Daniel Sturridge and Rickie Lambert.
Ferdinand, like many others, was beginning to think that Suarez had put his colourful past behind him until the incident with Giorgio Chiellini.
Ferdinand's conclusion? "But one chomp later it’s obvious he’s still Jekyll and Hyde".