Steven Gerrard: “Luis Suarez too good for Arsenal”

Steven Gerrard has risked the wrath of Arsenal fans as the Liverpool captain has revealed that he urged former striker Luis Suarez to opt against joining the Gunners.

Last summer Suarez has the chance to join Arsenal as the Gunners bid for him but both Suarez, then American owner John W. Henry, rejected the move.

[RELATED: Gerrard’s horror “three months”]

Suarez instead decided to stay at Liverpool and scored 31 goals in the Premier League during the 2013-14 season, before moving to Barcelona for a whopping $125 million.

Gerrard revealed that he told Suarez not to switch Liverpool for Arsenal last summer, for the following reason.

“His dream all along from the first day he came was to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona,” said Gerrard. “Last summer when he was out in the cold and training on his own that’s the conversation I had with him. I said, ‘Don’t go to Arsenal.’ With all due respect to them, I said to him that he was too good for Arsenal. I said, ‘If you score 30 goals for us and win the PFA Player of the Year, the press Player of the Year, they (Barca and Madrid) will come back for you. I just thought for his own sake, and to get respect off the Liverpool fans, he had to give us at least one year.”

Arsenal’s fans will likely take exception to this. Gerrard did say “with all due respect” which makes it okay to say what he did, right?

The big question is, with Alexis Sanchez on board, UEFA Champions League soccer and Arsenal’s squad arguably much stronger than last season, is Suarez really “too good” for Arsenal?

Follow @JPW_NBCSports