Nicklas Bendtner Joins Arsenal in 2004

The 23-year-old striker, who joined Arsenal in the summer of 2004, has played just 467 minutes of first-team football this season for the Gunners, with just three league starts compared to the 13 he made last season.

And Nicklas Bendtner, the Danish international is unhappy with his role in the first team moving from striker to the right of midfield.

Nicklas Bendtner – A talk with Wenger

“I need to have a talk with him [Arsène Wenger].” Nicklas Bendtner admitted to Danish television company TV2 this week.

I’m not satisfied with playing on the right wing, which I’ve done more or less all season long.

It’s certainly not the best thing for me but it’s not up to me and sometimes you have to adapt to what the manager says.

Nicklas Bendtner will be hoping to clarify his role at the club ahead of a rumoured ‘clear out’ at the Emirates, with a handful of first-teamers moving on, as Wenger aims to bring silverware back to North London.

With just two goals against his name this campaign, Nicklas Bendtner has failed to force his way into Wengers plans. With other club forwards such as Andrei Arshavin (35 apps, 6 goals) and Marouane Chamakh (27 apps, 7 goals) also falling short of recent expectation, Wenger may chose a new centre forward as a priority during pre-season.

Let’s see if Nicklas Bendtnercan pull it together and produce the goods for the Gunners.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted his players lacked “maturity, experience and calm” but he stepped into the firing line after his side’s 2-1 loss to Bolton, saying it is he who should be blamed.

Arsene Wenger accepts there’s a slim chance

Arsenal’s already-slim chances of pushing for the Premier League title were reduced to a mere mathematical possibilty after Tamir Cohen headed a late winner at Reebok Stadium on Sunday, leaving the Gunners nine points behind Manchester United and three behind Chelsea with four games to play.

Arsene Wenger -squad’s mentality

Arsene Wenger conceded ground in the ongoing debate over his youthful squad’s mentality but he still refused to criticse them publicly, defending them to the point of sacrificing his own reputation by claiming he is at fault for the side’s poor run in recent months.

And to finish off Arsene Wenger said: “I feel the players have had an outstanding attitude this season. They are not to blame. If somebody is to blame, it’s me. I pick the team.

The savvy Frenchman is believed to have up to £80million to spend should he require it, but has insisted that he has no plans at the moment to spend cash in the transfer market.

Arsene Wenger is happy with the players he currently has at the club and is not tempted to spend any of the club’s recently announced £35million after tax profits.

“There is money to spend but at the moment I am very happy with the squad I have,” said Wenger.

“It’s not because I’m against spending money; I have nothing against spending money. It is not a personal thing, it is just that I have a squad that is strong enough to compete.”

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Olympiacos, he added:”I do not spend money because out of tomorrow’s squad is (Samir) Nasri, (Theo) Walcott, (Nicklas) Bendtner.

“People want me to buy strikers, but where do I put them? I don’t know. I have to then lose players who, for me, are world-class.”

docklands apartments

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has compared 17-year-old midfielder Jack Wilshere with Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney.

Both players has hit the headlines at an early stage of their careers and Wilshere has now even been linked with England’s squad for the 2010 World Cup.

“What is good in his case is he reminds me a bit of Rooney when he started, in his belief and his positive attitude to go forwards,” said Wenger.

“For the rest, he has still a lot to learn, relations with other players team-wise, but there are some great basics there.”

He added: “As a manager you do not want a guy to be a star before he has delivered, and maybe here that is more difficult than anywhere else.”

source – skysports news

Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Kolo Toure could leave Arsenal as talks continue over a possible move by the Ivory Coast defender to Manchester City.

Toure played for Arsenal on Monday night in a pre-season friendly in Hungary but could move to City in a £15 million transfer later this week. Wenger said the next 24 hours will be decisive.

He told Arsenal TV: “We will see what’s happening in the next 24 hours, nothing is decided yet. We have seven centre-backs and I am in the position where I have to play some in midfield but of course Kolo is a very good player and we will see what will happen in the next 24 hours.”

original source: eurosport

The 28-year-old Czech made his first appearance in 18 months on Saturday after hamstring and knee injuries.

“There was a time when I was worried Tomas wouldn’t play football again and he felt the same,” said Wenger.

original source – BBC

Melo, who arrived in Florence from Spanish side Almeria last summer in a €8.1 million transfer, is a target of the Gunners.

“(Arsenal manager Arsene) Wenger wants to talk to me,” said Fiorentina sporting director Pantaleo Corvino. “I have no objection also because Eboue seems a valid swap.”

Brazilian Melo (25) has signed a one-year contract extension with Fiorentina that includes a €25 million release clause. He is contracted to Fiorentina until 2013 and is also a target of Juventus.

“In order for that (Melo to go to Juve) to happen, there needs to be a payment of €25 million as stipulated in his release clause,” said Corvino. “No club has made such an offer and there are no meetings arranged in the near future.”

Read more here at The Irish Times

It has been suggested that the Gunners would cash in on Emmanuel Adebayor to help fund squad strengthening, but Wenger claims there will be no repeat of last summer when Mathieu Flamini and Alex Hleb both left the club.

“We lost Hleb and Flamini last summer and we have had to rebuild,” said Wenger. “But we have done that now and the future looks bright. We don’t want to have to rebuild again, so I want to keep all the players together for next season. I don’t want to lose anyone.

“I want to add to the squad and have identified one or two targets. But identifying players and buying them are two different things.”

Read the rest here at soccernet

New signing Arshavin, 27, has found he takes home less cash here that he did in his native Russia, even though his gross salary is far higher.

It’s because in Russia he was paying 13 per cent tax – and here he is clobbered by the new 50p top rate.

Now, Arshavin has ordered his agent to renegotiate his contract with the Gunners and earn him an increase.

But fans yesterday said the midfielder was displaying “sheer greed.”

read the rest about Arshavin here at The Mirror