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.