Liverpool will fight to land Alexis Sanchez before signing off Luis Suarez sale

LIVERPOOL will continue the fight to land Barcelona striker Alexis Sanchez for £34million – before the Luis Suarez deal can be wrapped up.

BATTLE: Liverpool want Sanchez but apparently the Chile forward would prefer a move to Arsenal

Kop chiefs first bid for the red-hot Chile star earlier this summer, before the World Cup started.

And although Sanchez, 25, would favour a switch from the Nou Camp to Arsenal, Liverpool are still not giving up on him as Suarez’s replacement.

Barcelona, who had productive and positive talks last Wednesday with Liverpool over buying Suarez, 27, are happy to allow the Premier League runners-up to pursue their forward.

Liverpool have spent this weekend trying to persuade Sanchez’s agents to agree to an Anfield move, with the blessing of Barca who have no problems in releasing him for £34m.

If they can finalise that deal then Barcelona, who have agreed to pay theSuarez release clause of £75m, will happily cough up the £41m difference.

But if by the middle of this week the signs aren’t good, then Liverpool will give up on Sanchez and return to the negotiating table to push through a Suarez straight-cash transfer.

Talks, led by chief executive Ian Ayre, went well in that first midweek meeting but a deal hasn’t been done – yet.

The transfer will be concluded once the Sanchez situation is made clear one way or the other.

But Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes Suarez would be making a big mistake joining Barca.

He thinks the Uruguayan would be better suited to rivals Real Madrid.

“If Luis Suarez signs for Barcelona, will Lionel Messi accept him?” he said.

“Suarez won’t want to play out wide – he is a centre-forward and I can’t see Suarez and Messi linking well together.

“I think Suarez is making a bit of a mistake going to Barcelona. He’d be better suited to Real Madrid.”