The Gunners boss has threatened to take the unsettled French international off the transfer list and make him honour his contract if the player does not finalise a deal with Lazio, according to BBC Radio 5 Live.

"If in 48 hours, Anelka has not found (another) club we will consider him an Arsenal player and that he's coming back home to us," Wenger said.

"In 48 hours, Arsenal will withdraw their accord to put Nicolas Anelka on the transfer market," he said after his side's 2-2 draw in a pre-season friendly against promoted French first division Saint-Etienne.

"There are the sudden desires of the players but there are, in fact, also duties because there is a contract," Wenger said.

French forward Anelka has long been known to want out of Highbury and has left the Gunners in no doubt that he intends to move to Italy's Serie A at the earliest opportunity.