Suarez to Leave Liverpool in January? Must Be a Slow News Week

The international fortnight is a time when football fans up and down the country lament the lack of action on a Saturday (and Sunday, and Monday evening) and mock the value of Europe's best players lining up against postmen from San Marino.

Some, those actually with an interest in internationals, may cast an eye towards next summer's World Cup in Brazil. While others, those of us who no longer value internationals, pine for the return of Premier League action.

Meanwhile, with no football reports to fill Sunday's back-pages, the tabloid news desks are left with a tricky dilemma. Just how will they fill their pages?

This weekend saw The Sunday Mirror follow a simple, tried and tested formula to solve their problem. They wrote about Luis Suarez.

Their chief football writer, Paul Smith, wrote that "Liverpool are planning for life without £50million-rated striker Luis Suarez, " claiming that Suarez "has confided in friends that he remains determined to quit the Reds and join a club that will challenge for major honours."

If Suarez were to leave, he would be eligible to play for a Champions League side in the last 16 of the competition.

Such a report, containing no quotes, was quickly followed up by an "Anfield source" denying this, as per ESPN.

Possibly what's most incredible is that people actually believe that Liverpool would be prepared to sell Suarez.

After John Henry's impressive handling of the situation in the summer and insistence that the Uruguayan wouldn't leave, just why on earth would the owner then decide that halfway through a key season would be an appropriate time to sell one of the best players in the world?

Quite simply, he wouldn't. Indeed, nobody in their right frame of mind would.

As has been well documented, Suarez is forming an impressive partnership alongside Daniel Sturridge—a partnership that many think could be key to Liverpool achieving their goal of returning to the top four.

That top four equals Champions League qualification and with it the riches, prestige and status of being among Europe's elite.

If Brendan Rodgers' side should qualify, it would lead to a summer free from reports of players wishing to leave for Champions League football, or not wanting to join because of the lack of it, for the first time since 2010.

Qualify for the Champions League, have Steven Gerrard stand in front of The Kop with Suarez and tell him "Imagine this place on a European night."

Suarez is going nowhere.