Where Does Luis Suarez Staying at Liverpool Leave Arsenal and Arsene Wenger?

Luis Suarez has shocked world football by announcing that he wishes to stay at Liverpool.

According to The Mirror, Suarez told Uruguayan newspaper El Observador:

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"For now, due to all of the people's affection (for me), I will be staying."

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The article also quotes respected Uruguayan journalist Martin Chaquero as saying that Suarez could even end up extending his current contract with Liverpool.

It's great news for Liverpool supporters. For Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, however, it is a disaster.

Arsenal need to make a marquee signing this summer to demonstrate their new-found economic power. The fans crave a major statement in the transfer window, and the team needs a prolific goalscorer. Adding a star striker to the squad would kill both birds with one stone.

However, Arsenal are quickly running out of options. Several big-name strikers have already moved in this window. The likes of Fernando Llorente, Roberto Soldado, Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo have already moved in this window, untroubled by interest from Arsenal. The Gunners were linked extensively with Argentine hitman Gonzalo Higuain, but he eventually joined Napoli.

All of Arsenal's eggs appeared to be in the Luis Suarez basket. Now, that basket has been cruelly upturned and Arsenal's eggs lie smashed on the floor.

Arsenal now have to go back to the drawing board with only a couple of weeks left in the transfer window to identify an alternative target.

Arsenal should have seen this coming. The Suarez deal always looked difficult to pull off. Liverpool's intransigence and the complexity of the Uruguayan's contract meant that negotiations were bound to be tricky. Simply put, Liverpool did not want to sell their best player to a club they're looking to overhaul in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Arsene Wenger's decision not to rival Napoli for Higuain's signature was baffling. Higuain would have been cheaper than any proposed deal for Suarez and would also have arrived in London without Suarez's considerable baggage.

Arsenal gambled and lost. Now they're in last chance saloon.

Prising a world class centre-forward away from their club at this late stage in the window could prove very difficult, if not impossible. Earlier in the summer, Arsenal were heavily linked by The Independent with a move for Wayne Rooney. However, Manchester United seem unwilling to part with a valuable and prized asset. Arsene Wenger may have to pluck a new star from obscurity.

That will concern the Arsenal fan base. Arsenal's recent forward acquisitions have included the likes of Park Chu-Young, Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho. There have been as many extreme disappointments as exciting discoveries.

With the exception of the injury-prone youngster Yaya Sanogo, Arsene Wenger could end the summer empty-handed. If he does, Arsenal's trophy cabinet is bound to be similarly empty come next May.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout the 2013-14 season. Follow him on Twitter here.