Luis Suárez price tag at £50m-plus as Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers plays hardball with Arsenal Suárez, who will travel to Bangkok with the Liverpool squad on Thursday for the final leg of their tour of the Far East and Australia, returned to action for the club on Wednesday night for the first time since admitting his desire to leave by making an 18-minute substitute appearance in a 2-0 win against Melbourne Victory at the MCG. Arsenal believe their last bid will ultimately be accepted, but Rodgers countered: "If Arsenal want the player [Suárez], then they have to produce the value for the player," Rodgers said. There was an offer a few weeks ago of £35 million and two weeks later it is now £40 million and £1. I don't think it is anywhere near the value of what he is worth. But it is two-fold really. A player may want to go, but then somebody has to pay the value or worth of that player. It is not something we want to run on too long. It is something that can't run on too long and that period [cut-off point] will come soon, I'm sure. Having been led to believe that the clause in Suárez's £100,000-a-week contract ensured he could leave following a bid in excess of £40 million, Arsenal now believe that the ball is firmly in the player's court should he wish to force a move. Suarez's advisers are thought to have advised Arsenal this was the case, and are now thought to be dismayed by Liverpool's stance. But Rodgers insisted the reality of the clause was that it merely entitled Suarez to be told of any bid above £40 million. "Absolutely," Rodgers said. There is nothing more than that. There is the possibility that Suárez will attempt to accelerate a move to Arsenal by formally submitting a transfer request while Liverpool are in Thailand over the coming days. Arsenal are confident that the former Ajax forward is keen to move to the club, but Rodgers is equally of the belief that the player will focus fully on his commitment to Liverpool unless the club's position on his future changes. "For me, it is work as normal," Rodgers said. There is no change for me or for him. He is a paid player at Liverpool Football Club, so he just needs to get on with getting himself fit and getting worked. That's how it is. Until somebody tells me something different, that is what all my concentration will be on. I am not worried about him [being distracted], but there will be no games played by Liverpool. He is part of the group and he knows the standard you have to meet at this club, on and off the field. He was okay [when told of the rejected bid] and he said he was okay to go on to the pitch against Melbourne. His concentration was fine. It may be a distraction, but players are paid enough money now to produce for their clubs and he just has to keep his professionalism, which he has done. He had a long flight to get here, he met up with the others on Sunday and trained a double session on Monday and then Tuesday, so he was a wee bit weary before the game. He is very much a Liverpool player and the coming weeks we need to get him up to speed to ensure he's fit and raring to go for the beginning of the season. While Arsenal now consider their next move and whether to increase their bid to the point that will prompt Liverpool to sell - Rodgers rates Suárez in the same bracket as Paris St-Germain's £55 million buy Edinson Cavani - the spectre of Real Madrid continues to hang over the battle for the player. Having missed out on Cavani and Manchester City's Sergio Agüero, and with the club no closer to signing Gareth Bale from Tottenham, the imminent sale of Gonzalo Higuain to Napoli could force Real to focus firmly on Suárez, who has said several times that the Spanish club are his favoured option. There remains a sense of doubt within Real as to Suárez's ability to make a difference in the Champions League, however, due to his lack of experience in the competition. His off-field controversies are also understood to have made it difficult for Real to sell Suárez to their sponsors and commercial partners, but that is unlikely to be the area that will force the Spanish club to abandon their interest.