• Champions League play-off registration deadline is 12 August • Wenger: 'He wants to leave Liverpool, that is why we acted'

Arsenal face a race against time to sign Luis Suárez before their Champions League play-off, with the manager, Arsène Wenger, admitting the transfer bid was "on standby".

The Gunners have seen a specific offer of £40m plus £1 – which was believed would trigger the Uruguayan's release clause – rejected out of hand by Liverpool.

However, Suárez has made it clear he wants to leave and, in a wide-ranging Guardian interview, complained of what he saw as broken promises from the Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers.

The 26-year-old – currently serving a domestic 10-game ban imposed by the Football Association for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic at the end of last season – could yet force the situation by handing in a formal transfer request, or even asking the Premier League to intervene over the interpretation of the now infamous get-out clause.

Whatever transpires, if Arsenal are to be able to field Suárez in their crucial two-legged Champions League play-off this month, then the squad list must be registered with Uefa by 11pm on Monday 12 August, leaving little time for the finer details of what has become the summer's most protracted transfer saga to be thrashed out.

"At the moment the situation is on standby. I heard that [Suárez is considering legal action to force a move], but this is sometimes linked with things that you don't know as a potential buyer," Wenger said to al-Jazeera Sport.

"That is the story between Suárez and Liverpool and I don't know what has been said, what has been promised and what has been written and that is only Suárez and Liverpool that can decide that.

"It is nothing to do with us. We have been told that the player wants to leave Liverpool and that is why we have acted. I really don't know what will be decided by Liverpool."

The Professional Footballers' Association could yet look to mediate. The chief executive, Gordon Taylor, said on TalkSport: "It is a delicate situation and we are trying to help. These buyout clauses have caused no end of problems in the past and they continue to do so because of the way they were drafted at the time.

"He [Suárez] believes the £40m amount that is mentioned, if that is offered that gives him the right to go.

"Liverpool, from their side, are saying that is a minimum figure from which they will consider negotiation and of course they will want to keep the player, unless they replace the player with someone as good or better, which is not going to be easy in a short period of time.

"There are different ways it can be interpreted. If it goes to the Premier League it will take time and the window is then closed.

"We have been asked to try and help to sort the situation out and we have been trying to do that."

Arsenal, meanwhile, will finalise their pre-season buildup with a friendly against Premier League rivals Manchester City in Helsinki on Saturday.