Liverpool supporters have charged to social media to mock comments branding Liverpool "disrespectful" over Arsenal's transfer interest in Luis Suarez in 2013.
The Gunners infamously submitted an offer of £1 over the Reds star's £40million buyout clause six years ago, forcing Fenway Sports Group chief John W Henry to Twitter to memorably quip: "What do you think they're smoking over there at Emirates?"
Despite the offer triggering an apparent clause written into Suarez's contract, Liverpool resisted and kept hold of their star man who went on to plunder 31 goals the following season, winning the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in the process.
On Friday, Arsenal's former transfer negotiator of the situation, slamming principal owner Henry's conduct for going so public with the derisory offer.
“Liverpool wanted to make a big deal out of it and that’s fine,” he said. “When they received our offer they immediately publicised it.
“I think John Henry wanted to know what we were smoking, which I thought was a bit disrespectful.
"It was him having a bit of a go because he was getting ready to lose his star player. It was a good way to deflect attention.
“I always thought that the move to publicise it was counter-productive.
“I thought Liverpool shot themselves in the foot by basically saying they were now forced to entertain offers because of this clause, by publicising it they just made everyone aware and eventually they lost the player.”
Liverpool did indeed lose Suarez, a year later as joined Barcelona for nearly double what Arsenal had offered the previous summer.
Inevitably, Law's comments drew the ire of scores of Reds supporters online, who were quick to slam Arsenal's original offer for Suarez.
After Arsenal's offer was laughed off inside the corridors of power at Anfield, Uruguay international Suarez left the following summer with his reputation among Reds fans intact after his incredible season.
Here's how ECHO readers on Twitter and Facebook have been reacting to Law's comments on Friday,
We kept Suarez for another season: we won.
— RichB (@RichTeatime) July 5, 2019
His head was already turned, and this just helped us let everyone know we'd only sell for a $$$ offer, and not to a rival. Nice one @John_W_Henry
Well let me see, Liverpool sold Suarez under there own terms and went from strength to strength meanwhile Arsenal don't have a pot to piss in and are no longer a champions league club, plus Spurs are now pissing on them from a great height. Arsenal, the gift that keeps on giving
— Deedna (@deedna00) July 5, 2019
I love the idea that 40M+1 was a starting point. Perhaps Dick Law needs to review how to negotiate. The idea is that your opening bid needs to be enough to keep the other side at the table.
— Mark Hill (@Inhocmark) July 5, 2019
I think the bid was embarrassing
— Mojo17 (@Kopperhead17) July 5, 2019
What a weird take on it...there was only one disrespectful party and they came from the Emirates
— Tricky ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (@rich_tricky) July 5, 2019
Disrespectful?! And bidding 40mill + £1 wasn't
— Andy Moff (@andymoff86) July 5, 2019
He was always going to leave for Barcelona that summer. Henry was just pointing out the pathetic nature of the gooners approach
— Ged Stamper (@gedstamper) July 5, 2019
Mo Moghal : Sour grapes.. Who gives a **** what the ex-Arsenal negotiator says? Henry did right by making everyone know how cheap Arsenal's negotiation team is! £40,000,001 FFS?!? It was a joke then and still is!
Steven Jones : "Yes we shot ourselves in the foot by getting an extra £30m for him and they took the *** with a £40m +a pound,loved that tweet that John Henry did about the what they smoking"
Guy Needham : "Curious disrespectful it’s called business. The past reflects the future. He said no sell for 30 million more the next season and through Henry’s support we are European champions and arsenal couldn’t win the europa league. I see why this guy is the former transfer negotiator haha."
Tim Crosse : "What this really proves is Arsenal are a bunch of cheap skates. If they really wanted the player then put your money where your mouth is. And make sure it’s an amount that the player is worth not a underhand bid to just **** off the holding club!!"
Mat Armond : "Who the hell CARES !!! Bringing this UP! Arsenal Fc Europa league LFC current European Champions and 6 x Champions of Europe!!! And Arsenal should be grateful that we beat Spurs in the Final!!!!"
