Arsene Wenger expects quite a bit of transfer activity at the club in the last couple of weeks of the transfer window, but the manager admitted the Luis Suarez signing has now been completely ruled out.
Suarez was the subject of two bids from Arsenal, but with Liverpool refusing to sell their player and Suarez himself apologizing to the club for comments made earlier in the summer, the transfer seemed unlikely.
Asked if the Suarez transfer was dead, Wenger, speaking to reporters after Arsenal's 3-0 win over Fenerbahce in the Champions League playoffs answered in the affirmative. "Yes," he said. "Absolutely no chance of that."
Wenger will now be regretting not pursuing the Gonzalo Higuain transfer, as the Arsenal manager looks for a potent striker to help reduce the burden on Olivier Giroud.
Arsenal are also looking to bring in a central midfielder before the transfer window closes, with Newcastle already rejecting a bid for Yohan Cabaye.
Wenger insisted Arsenal do not need any players in midfield in terms of quality, but due to the fact that the likes of Mikel Arteta, Abou Diaby and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are ruled out for a considerable time through injury, it has forced his hand.
"Quality-wise we don't need anybody but number-wise we are short as I told you yesterday (Tuesday)," he added. "We lost Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arteta and Diaby -- three international midfielders. That is why we are short.
"We tried to bring one in but we are working on that. You have to understand there is still a long way to go. The transfer market starts for me now and a lot of activity will happen between now and September 2. From August 21 until September 2 you have 12 days, so a lot will happen. It starts now."
Wenger also explained why transfer activity intensifies as the window nears its closure.
"It is like a poker game," the Frenchman said. "People hold their cards as long as possible and see what is happening out there. In the end, they go for decisions.
"First everybody goes on holiday and nobody wants to do anything. Then in many clubs there are manager changes. They need to know the squad before they make a decision. Many, many things but it is always like that."
