Liverpool owner says that Luis Suarez won't be sold
Will he have to stay, finally?
Liverpool owner John W Henry has said that Luis Suarez is not going anywhere and that the striker will not be sold to Arsenal or any other European club for any price this summer.
According to The Guardian, Henry has told Suarez and his agent Pere Guardiola that their attempts to force a move away from the club have come too late in the transfer window as there is not sufficient time for the club to sign a replacement.
Henry said “We are not going to sell Luis. For all the top clubs it’s extremely important (not to sell to a rival) but especially for Liverpool because we’re not in Europe this year and have not been in the Champions League for a while. To sell to a rival for those positions, or one of them, would be ludicrous. Liverpool needs to be playing in Europe. It needs to be playing in the Champions League. That’s what Liverpool football club is about.”
Responding to queries about Arsenal’s interest in signing the player, Henry replied “”I’m unequivocal that we won’t sell to Arsenal, whatever the bid is. I have not said it to Stan (Kroenke, Arsenal’s majority shareholder) but I had a personal conversation with others at Arsenal and told him (Gazidis) we would not sell to Arsenal.”
When asked about the possibility of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich making a bid for Suarez, Henry said “He won’t be sold even if a foreign club comes in because we do not have time to sign a suitable replacement. It’s a football reason. It’s not about finances. That’s why at this point, so late in the window, with everyone who’s already moved or isn’t moving, we can’t replace him. So for football reasons we can’t sell, and especially to Arsenal.”
Adamant that Suarez’s future has been sorted, Henry said “I think the issue has been resolved now. We have said ‘no’. Luis will be a Liverpool player on September 3 (the day after the transfer window closes).”
However, Henry admitted that manager Brendan Rodgers and Suarez will need to work on their professional relationship after the player’s comments to the media. “That’s going to be between the manager and player. The manager is upset, as he should be, the supporters are upset, Luis is, but that’s going to be between those two and his team-mates. We need Luis. Hopefully this will pass.”