Arsene Wenger has admitted a move for Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar is dead in the water.
The Gunners have been chasing the 21-year-old all summer but the trail has gone cold.
And Wenger has confirmed that there's no chance of a deal being done before next week's transfer deadline.
When asked whether a move could still happen, the Arsenal boss replied: "It is dead, Monaco have closed the door, definitely, because they have ongoing cases like [Kylian] Mbappe, Fabinho.
"They lost already [Benjamin] Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko, so Monaxo are at a stage where they have closed the door."
Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez will return to Arsenal's squad for the Gunners' trip to Liverpool – where he was dropped last season.
And Wenger expects his Chilean wizard, who is entering the final year of his contract at the Emirates after a protracted stand-off over signing a new deal, to remain an Arsenal player when the transfer window shuts next week.
Manchester City hope to tempt Sanchez away from north London, and they are prepared to offer him a monster £15 million-a-year.
But Wenger, who gave no assurances that Sanchez would start at Anfield, believes he is committed to the cause and said: “He has always been focused on his job because he loves to play football.
“I don't think he is too disturbed by all the noises – players at that level are used to it. Overall he looks in good shape He has worked really hard and he is ready to play.”
Wenger expects Sanchez still to be an Arsenal player when he returns from international duty next month, after the transfer deadline – and he still hasn't given up hope of him signing a new deal with the Gunners, adding: “He is very focused and very happy.
“The fact that he goes into the last year of his contract doesn't mean we can't extend it. At the moment we haven't – we just want to focus as a team and not look too much at the contracts of everybody.”
Sanchez last appeared for Arsenal in their FA Cup final triumph against Chelsea in May and his last competitive game was for Chile against Germany in the Confederations Cup on July 2.
His early-season fitness has been disrupted by an abdominal muscle strain, and he remains tempted by a potential reunion with City boss Pep Guardiola, his former Barcelona coach who sold him to Arsenal for £30m three years ago.
Gunners skipper Laurent Koscielny, who has missed the first three games of the season through suspension, is also available for Wenger at Anfield.