Suarez talks about summer 2013 and Arsenal in his autobiography

On the £40m buyout clause:

I was approaching my twenty-seventh birthday and I was looking at another season outside of Europe’s top competition. I was aware of a clause I my contract that meant if Liverpool finished outside the Champions League I could negotiate a move away provided a buying club offered over £40 million for me. So I had the reasons to leave; I had the contractual right to do so; and if the rumours were to be believed I had clubs who were interested in me too.

On Arsenal's reported bid:

There were clubs that showed an interest, but only one officially made a bid that went over the £40m threshold: Arsenal.

On wanting out of England:

I wanted out because I wanted out of England, but there was also my frustration at not being able to play in the Champions League. Now here was a club that was in the Champions League, but was still in England. My head was all over the place. Would this move be the answer or would it create even more problems? I didn’t know what to do.

On considering the move to Arsenal:

Because Arsenal had emerged as the club most interested in signing me, I started to wonder whether a change of city might have the same effect as a change of country. I told myself that it’s easier for players to become anonymous in London and that was what I wanted.

On never truly wanting to join Arsenal:

Deep down, it wasn’t what I really wanted, but I began to tell myself that this might work. The doubts resurfaced quickly, though. Going to Arsenal had the potential to be even worse. I would still be in the same country only I would have Liverpool fans against me as well as everybody else.

I’ve never really thought about what would have happened if Liverpool had accepted Arsenal’s bid. Would I have become an Arsenal player? I would have regretted it and I’m not just saying that because of the way things turned out for the team – I don’t know what position Liverpool would have finished in 13/14 without me or in what position Arsenal would have finished with me – but the regret would have eaten away at me when I saw the Liverpool supporters and when they saw me in the shirt of one of their rivals.