John Henry says Liverpool will not sell Luis Suarez

Feb 25, 2012; Fort Myers FL, USA; Boston Red Sox owner John W. Henry holds a press conference prior to spring training at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

With the start of the EPL season a week away and his star attacker Luis Suarez publicly saying he wants to be sold due to Liverpool breaking their promise of qualifying for the Champions League, Liverpool FC and Boston Red Sox owner John Henry is under a world of pressure he has never seen before as he finds out first hand how crazy European football/soccer really is.

Suarez accused the club of breaking a promise to allow him to join a club in the Champions League this summer after Liverpool failed to finish in the top four. Manager Brendan Rodgers followed up Suarez interview by calling out the striker for deciding to go so public with his transfer request, spilling fuel on the already flaming saga going on at Anfield.

Now Henry has decided to make it clear to Suarez that there is no way he is going to be sold before the August 31 transfer window deadline.

Henry is quoted in the Daily Telegraph: “We are not going to sell Luis. 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.

“So for football reasons we can’t –- and especially to Arsenal. We’ve made that clear. I have said to Ivan Gazidis [Arsenal chief executive] in a personal conversation that we will not sell to Arsenal. It is unequivocal, but that doesn’t seem to slow them down so I can’t wait to see what the next bid is.

“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 Champions League positions, or one of them, would be ludicrous. Whatever the bid is, we won’t sell him. We need Luis. Hopefully this will pass.”

Suarez is out until September after biting a Chelsea player late last season and stands out as one of Liverpool’s only true world class talents, at one point looking like the next in line to replace Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. It is obvious that if Liverpool is going to get back to the Champions League this season that they will need Suarez, John Henry knows that. The future of his investment in getting Liverpool back to their former glory atop English football might just rely on Suarez staying and Liverpool somehow finding a way to make what would be a shock top four finish this season.

First things first, Henry will need to stay firm until August 31 as Suarez seems hellbent on forcing his way onto a Champions League club this year.