Luis Suarez's Liverpool to Arsenal transfer is NOT happening Kop chief Henry tells fans
Luis Suarez's Liverpool to Arsenal transfer is NOT happening Kop chief Henry tells fans
US tycoon follows up legendary 'What are they smoking?' tweet with emphatic verbal message on the eve of Reds' Oslo friendly
Oslo blow: Henry's message to Norwegian Liverpool fans is bad news for Arsenal
Andrew Powell
John W Henry has again dismissed Arsenal's attempt to sign Luis Suarez, by insisting they are wasting their time.
Liverpool chairman Henry famously questioned the London club's approach
last month after they submitted a bid of £40million plus one pound for
the striker, tweeting: "What are they smoking at Arsenal?"
And he has followed that up by telling a meeting of the Liverpool Supporters' Club in Oslo - ahead of the Reds' friendly game against Valarenga in the Norwegian capital - that Suarez is going nowhere.
The
controversial Uruguayan again sent the football world into a
speculation frenzy when he limped out of training on Tuesday... and out of the club's trip to Scandinavia.
He
was sent to hospital for a scan on a foot injury when he couldn't
continue after doing a warm-up and some light jogging with the rest of
the team.
Suarez limped away from the pitch in some discomfort,
and after being looked over by medics, they decided he required a more
detailed examination to see if he'd broken any of the metatarsal bones.
Later though, the 26-year-old drove himself away from the training ground, sparking reports he had REFUSED to play in any more pre-season matches for Liverpool.
Manager Brendan Rodgers was quick to insist there is nothing sinister about the striker's absence on his arrival in Oslo:
"Luis
picked up an injury in the open training session at Anfield yesterday
and, along with a number of other players (see below), we decided this
game was too much of a risk for him.
"We have had a couple of bids
from one club, which have been nowhere near the valuation of what he is
worth in this market, so there is no change in that. It is the same
with any of our players - we are very much trying to build and go
forward and we want to keep our best players. Negative waves: Henry is adamant Suarez isn't saying goodbye to Liverpool
Andrew Powell
"We have no intention of selling one of the best players in
the world to one of our rivals. Luis Suarez is very much a Liverpool
player and there is no real value in discussing it unless someone comes
close to the valuation."
And chairman Henry joined in to hammer down speculation of an imminent move to the Gunners, as he reiterated his stance that the player will not be sold.
Henry also insisted he and business partner Tom Werner also have no intention of relinquishing the Anfield reins:
"I
don't know why people ask us if we are selling the club or the best
players, because we are not. We like to buy stuff, not to sell."
Liverpool won't get the results of the scan until Wednesday afternoon, but they are hoping the foot isn't broken as that could rule Suarez out for several months beyond his ban for biting, which still has six matches left to run.
As
it is, he is also likely to miss Saturday's friendly against Celtic in
Dublin - Liverpool's last pre-season match before the big kick-off
against Stoke seven days later.
But Rodgers and Henry are more
determined than ever to resist Arsenal's persistent - and clearly
unappreciated - attempts to prise Suarez away.
They have
maintained that the player is completely wrong in his claims he is
contractually allowed to leave to join a Champions League club, and have
had the document examined by several legal experts to back their
stance.
Suarez isn't the only player missing from the trip.
Defenders Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel - linked with Napoli - and Glen Johnson were left behind, as Rodgers erred on the side of caution after they all picked up knocks in recent days.
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