Ayre: Liverpool have Suarez succession plan

Ayre confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that Liverpool have turned down an offer from Arsenal, believed to be £30 million, for the striker, with reports on Tuesday suggesting the North London side are preparing a second bid of £35m.

Real Madrid have also been linked with the Uruguay international and with Suarez apparently intent on leaving Liverpool – citing the club’s failure to secure Champions League football and his troubles with the English media – Ayre has conceded Liverpool are making contingency plans.

However, the club have not given up hope of starting the campaign with Suarez in their squad – although he will miss the first six games due to a suspension incurred for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic last season.

"We had an offer which is fairly public from Arsenal," Ayre said, in an interview with Bloomberg. "We said no to that offer, and as far as we're concerned he turns up for training when he's due back. And we'll move forward on that basis.

"This is an ambitious young player, he's talked in the media about wanting to play in the Champions League and all these things. It's our job to convince Luis that this is the right place to achieve those things.

"In every position on the pitch we have a fairly good idea of who are the best players available at what price in the event one of our players leaves.

"But that doesn't mean we're painting a negative scenario, it just means you're planning well, which is what people expect."

Ayre is also confident that Suarez will not receive a negative reaction from Liverpool fans should he stay at the club, despite speaking regularly this summer of his desire to leave.

"I don't think anyone will be against him at this point," Ayre said. "He only needs to do what he did last season and everyone will feel he's in the right place and he should carry on getting the support that he deserves and gets from Liverpool.

"We'd love to see Luis put on a Liverpool shirt for this season and beyond and we hope that once he gets back things will settle down."

Liverpool have included Suarez in the 28-man squad for their pre-season tour of Indonesia, Australia and Thailand.

He is not part of the 25-man group set to depart John Lennon Airport on Tuesday afternoon for the 12-day trip, although a statement on Liverpool's website said that Suarez, Uruguay defender Sebastian Coates and Spain goalkeeper Jose Reina, who have been given extended time off due to their involvement in the Confederations Cup, would all be joining the party "later on in the tour".

Among the 25 players due to fly out are fit-again club captain Steven Gerrard, absent from the last two fixtures of 2012-13 due to a shoulder problem.

The club's quartet of new signings - goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, defender Kolo Toure and forwards Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas - are also included, while striker Daniel Sturridge, who has been nursing an ankle injury, is not involved.

The matches Liverpool have scheduled for the tour see them take on an Indonesia XI in Jakarta on July 20, face Melbourne Victory in Australia on July 24 and then play Thailand in Bangkok on July 28.

Liverpool's 2013 pre-season tour squad in full: Jones, Johnson, Enrique, Toure, Agger, Alberto, Gerrard, Aspas, Coutinho, Assaidi, Pacheco, Henderson, Downing, Spearing, Lucas, Mignolet, Allen, Borini, Sterling, Kelly, Skrtel, Flanagan, Wisdom, Robinson, Ibe, Suarez, Coates, Reina