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What’s Next for Nicklas Bendtner?

Nicklas Bendtner has come out in the media recently and explained of his desire to leave Arsenal at the end of the season. The Danish centre forward has been at the club since 2004 when he joined as a 16 year-old but his career has never sparked and he has been a frustrated figure at the Emirates.

His contract is up at the end of the season and despite scoring vital goals against Hull City and Cardiff City this season, Arsene Wenger doesn’t look set to extend the contract of the 26 year-old. Bendtner is well known for being a very confident footballer and despite his claims that he would be one of the best strikers in the world in the past, his game ratio, let alone his goal ratio fails to justify this.

His departure is largely down to the fact that he wants to have more game time and he is well behind Olivier Giroud in the pecking order. It also seems that the emergence of Yaya Sanogo has seen Bendtner further pushed down. Wenger’s reluctance to buy a striker in January gave Bendtner some hope he could play a part in the rest of the season but the Dane has finally said enough is enough.

The destination for Bendtner in the summer is still unknown but the centre forward will no doubt have a number of clubs going after his signature. You can’t overlook his international record where he has 24 goals in 56 games for Denmark. Mid-table Premier League clubs may be interested in taking him on a permanent deal but his wage demands could prove a stumbling block. Alternatively Bendtner could opt for leaving England and move to either Serie A or the La Liga teams.

It will leave Arsene Wenger short in numbers in attack and it would be very surprising if the Arsenal manager didn’t sign a striker either to challenge Giroud to a starting place or as backup to the Frenchmen. Bendtner’s confidence off the pitch will no doubt be missed but fortunately for Arsenal fans they will probably forget his footballing ability rather quickly.

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Why Arsene Wenger Should bring Ozil back to Arsenal’s Front

The biggest dilemma that has faced Arsene Wenger lately is the question mark surrounding Mesut Ozil. The 42.5 million signing from Real Madrid set the Premier League alight with some strong performances but his form has somewhat deteriorated just when Arsenal needed their record signing the most.

He played just 24 minutes against Stoke City and had no effect on the outcome of the game. It never seemed Ozil would really stamp his authority on a game against a side that are extremely physical. This was more than likely the thinking behind Wenger’s exclusion of Mesut from the starting 11.

His body language indicates that he isn’t particularly a player who is prepared to graft and cover the yards to retain possession and with Arsenal at home to Swansea City this Saturday the midfielders will need to press high to win the ball. But his defensive contribution is what seems to concern Arsene Wenger the most and Mesut may be considered a luxury player to have at this point.

However, the German playmaker still possesses the natural killer pass instinct which can unlock any defence at any given time. Olivier Giroud will thrive off this type of service. His ability to hold onto the ball in crowded areas is one of his strongest attributes. Swansea City, their next opponents are a team who like to keep hold of the ball so Arsenal will need to be equally as efficient with the ball.

His ability is obvious for all to see and it is just a spell for the German where he is low on confidence. Wenger will need his record signing to start performing if Arsenal stands any chance of maintaining a realistic title challenge for the rest of the campaign and giving him 25 minutes here or there isn’t going to improve his confidence which is why the German’s return needs to be sooner rather than later.