ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS: Bendtner Out -- Who is Next to Leave Emirates?
Nicklas Bendtner personally confirmed the inevitable -- that his departure from Emirates is imminent.
The Danish forward would not say which team he was headed to, but the likely destination appears to be Stoke, while Sporting Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund are also strong possibilities.
"I've done my part and now I'm just waiting," said Bendtner. "I can't say anything about who I've been speaking to, but hopefully it will all be sorted out soon."
With the additions of Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as well as the potential arrival of Costa Rican striker Joel Campbell, there seemed to be a surplus of reserves for Robin van Persie, making the out-of-favour Bendtner expendable. Arsenal are likely to receive roughly £9 million for Bendtner, and that will likely go to a much-needed centre back.
The Gunners may not be done unloading. In late July, The Guardian reported that Arsene Wenger was looking to sell Emmanuel Eboue to Galatasaray for £4 million. Earlier this week, Inside Futbol reported that forward Carlos Vela could be loaned to Real Sociedad.
Much to the dismay of some Gunner fans, Manuel Almunia remains on the squad. The goalkeeper has had his share of struggles, and is probably the No. 3 goalkeeper at the moment. Daily Star reported last month that Almunia was likely to join Atletico Madrid, though no new reports have surfaced.
But those are the small names. The two big names continue to be top midfielders Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas.
Arsenal might be open to sending Nasri to Manchester City in a £25 million deal, according to The Guardian. Nasri has shown an unwillingness to sign a contract extension, and Wenger doesn't want to lose a high-valued midfielder for nothing.
Fabregas, on the other hand, seems to have a better chance of staying. Barcelona are not willing to pay £40 million, and that's what Arsenal believe he's worth. If there is a reason that Fabregas does in fact move on from Emirates, it would likely be because his presence will have become a distraction. Fabregas can also demand a deal to Barcelona, which he has yet to do.
Some encouraging news about retaining both midfielders came this week when Nasri and Fabregas were included inthe Champions League squad for playoff matches against Udinese. Neither has played in preseason matches, which has caused a stir amongst the Arsenal fanbase.
"They are two exceptional players and that's why personally I want to keep the two," said Wenger, when asked about retaining both Nasri and Fabregas.
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