Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Must Turn Attention from Luis Suarez

Following reports that Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is staying at Anfield, per Ed Malyon of Mirror Football, Arsenal must now look elsewhere in their hunt for a new striker.

With every passing day came a new comment and a new direction for which the striker would be heading—with a high-profile move to Premier League rivals Arsenal seemingly on the cards in what has become one of the summer's more prolonged transfer sagas.

The Gunners had initially tabled a £40,000,001 bid, as the Telegraph reported—a fee believed to spark a clause in the striker's Liverpool contract which meant that he was to be informed of the offer.

The Guardian's Sid Lowe then reported that Suarez had asked to join Arsenal, with the striker stating that the Merseyside club had not kept to their word. 

He told the Guardian:

"

Last year I had the opportunity to move to a big European club and I stayed on the understanding that if we failed to qualify for the Champions League the following season I'd be allowed to go.

I gave absolutely everything last season but it was not enough to give us a top-four finish–now all I want is for Liverpool to honour our agreement.

"

But in spite of everything surrounding Suarez's proposed move away from Liverpool, the club have stood firm all along, adamant that he will not be allowed to leave—especially to a Premier League rival.

The Telegraph claimed that Reds boss Brendan Rodgers staunchly denied that Liverpool would sell their star striker who scored 23 league goals last season.

Rodgers was quoted as saying:

"

We have no intention of selling one of the top players in the world to one of our rivals.

The message is very clear: Luis Suarez is very much a Liverpool player.

"

And now, in one of the summer's biggest U-turns, it appears that Liverpool's determination has paid off with Suarez telling one of Uruguay's top journalists that he will be staying with the Merseyside club, according to Sports Illustrated's chief sports writer Grant Wahl on Twitter and reported by Malyon of the Daily Mirror.

And with this news it seems that Arsenal's number one transfer target is now out of their grasp, meaning they must look elsewhere in order to bolster their striking options ahead of the new Premier League season.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was in hot pursuit of Wayne Rooney, according to the Telegraph, but that rumour appears to have died down with Manchester United boss David Moyes, like Liverpool's Rodgers, insisting that their striker isn't for sale. 

The Scot told Sky Sports: 

"

We don't want to sell Wayne.

I have not fallen out with Wayne and the reason he trained with the reserves was because he wanted to because he wasn't allowed any contact.

"

And with a move for Rooney seemingly dead in the water, the Mirror is reporting that attentions have now been turned to Swansea City's Michu—one of the Premier League's surprise packages last season—or forgotten Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko. 

Either signing would vastly improve Arsenal's attacking options. French striker Olivier Giroud, who didn't enjoy the finest of first seasons in English football, is their only real main threat as they head into the 2013-14 campaign against Aston Villa on Saturday.