Rodgers
Reuters

Brendan Rodgers has stated that there was no way that Luis Suarez would have been allowed to leave Liverpool for Arsenal last summer.

The Gunners were firmly in for the Uruguayan and had a bid rejected for £40m plus £1 rejected by Liverpool for their star striker. The striker was handed a 10 game ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic in their game against Chelsea in the league last season, but the Uruguayan has come back from where he left off last season and has already scored six goals in the league, two behind his teammate Daniel Sturridge who has eight.

His form has vindicated Rodgers' decision to stand by him and not allow any amount of money to sway him from his resolve. The Reds are looking to finish in the top four this season and Suarez's form is likely to be the deciding factor. The striker is scoring goals for fun and should he be able to keep up this tempo in the remainder of the season, the Reds are likely to be more closer to the top than Rodgers is aspiring for.

"That was something that was never going to happen. For us and the institution we are, we were never going to sell to a rival. We were very firm and told Luis this was the place to showcase his talent. There is no greater stage for him. Once the window was shut, he was absolutely brilliant. He is 26 years of age, he is a father of two and he is maturing," Rodgers said.

Liverpool travel to the Emirates on Saturday and Suarez will have a chance to show Arsene Wenger as to what he missed out on. The Gunners are going through a rough patch, having lost their last two home games in the Champions League to Borussia Dortmund and to Chelsea in the Capital One Cup and will be looking to bounce back from their disappointments. A win here for Rodgers will be a major confidence booster for their side who have not faced any tough challenges away from home thus far.