Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to be drawn further on the protracted Luis Suarez transfer saga after watching former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba return to haunt his side with a second-half double to win the Emirates Cup for Galatasaray.
The Ivory Coast frontman - who left Chelsea after spearheading their 2012 Champions League final victory before a short stint with Shanghai Shenhua in China - converted a penalty on 78 minutes before then producing a crisp finish as the Turks secured their second victory of the weekend tournament, having fallen behind to Theo Walcott's first-half curling effort.
Arsenal showed good form in patches, but once again had no answer to the 35-year-old, who had been on Wenger's radar when a youngster at Guingamp.
So far, France Under-21 forward Yaya Sanogo, a free transfer from Auxerre who was handed a start in attack, remains the Gunners' only summer purchase, despite having a sizeable kitty with which to strengthen a squad that has not delivered a trophy for almost a decade.
Arsenal are expected to increase their £40million + £1 bid, which they believed would trigger the Uruguay forward's release clause, although Liverpool remain adamant they will not sell - with manager Brendan Rodgers suggesting £100m Real Madrid target Gareth Bale could not be "valued at more than 100% more than Luis Suarez."
Wenger, though, insists his club will continue their negotiations away from a public auction.
He said: "We try to do it properly, but a transfer is always an agreement between three parties and we have always done that until now."
Wenger admitted he would have preferred to get his transfer business done ahead of the crucial Champions League qualifier at the end of the month, but does not intend to let that alter his intentions.
"Let's count first on what is here and if we can add something, we will do, but it is very difficult to predict if something will be sorted out before we play in the Champions League qualifier," he said.
"I think we have enough quality to achieve it with the players we have in at the moment and if we can have some more in before then, it's even better."
Source: PA
