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Luis Suarez will not be sold, says Liverpool owner John Henry

By on August 8, 2013

Liverpool owner John Henry has dealt severe blows to suitors of Luis Suarez, particularly Arsenal, as he claims the wanted forward will not be sold to any club for any price this summer.

Henry, who stood by Liverpool’s stance that Suarez will not be leaving Anfield, said the idea that Suarez would join Arsenal was “ludicrous” and that the Uruguayan has showed “total disrespect” to Brenden Rodgers side during the transfer saga.  The American businessman ordered Suarez to train away from the rest of the club’s first team, and claimed there would be no way of the former Aiax striker moving before the end of the transfer window in a visit to Liverpool.

“We are not going to sell Luis,” Henry said. “It’s a football reason. It’s not finances. At this point, so late in window, with everyone who’s already moved or isn’t moving, we do not have time to replace him.

“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.”

Arsenal have lodged two bids for Suarez, the latest of which being a £41m offer, but Henry was quick to squash any chances of a potential move to the Emirates coming through.

“I’m unequivocal that we won’t sell to Arsenal, whatever the bid is,” he said. “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.”

“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.”

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.