Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Bendtner's Tour Absence Proves It's Time to Go

Arsenal have been trying to sell Nicklas Bendtner for quite some time now. The Gunners' 23-year-old Danish striker hasn't lived up to the considerable hype he had at his arrival at Emirates, struggling to find form in his two seasons with the club. 

Manager Arsene Wenger has seen several big clubs show interest in the big Dane (with the bigger ego), but most of the bids have fallen to the wayside over the last month and a half, courtesy of Wenger's £12 million asking price. 

However, that doesn't mean that Bendtner's still going to be a major player in the Gunners' lineup come next season; in fact, a Mirror Football report indicates that the 23-year-old will not be accompanying the Gunners on their next summer trip to Cologne. 

For those of you unable to read between the lines of that decision, let me sum it up for you: It's time for Bendtner to close the curtain on the Arsenal era of his career and leave Emirates for good. 

The fact that the Gunners couldn't find space for their still talented, if egomaniacal striker tells me that they're sick and tired of watching Bendtner flub open chances near the net or complain about not being deployed at his preferred striker position. 

Maybe the Gunners have finally found a bidder for their supremely disgruntled Dane. Maybe they were tired of trying to find a roster spot for a player who has yet to have a consistent impact in the squad, or maybe Bendtner decided that since he's as talented as Cesc Fabregas (in his mind, anyway), he should get to take the trip off as well.

This was a marriage of player and club long doomed to failure. That became painfully clear last season, when the Dane struggled to find consistent minutes despite the lack of another forward to pair with Robin van Persie. 

To make matters worse, Bendtner exhibited one of the highest bark-to-bite ratios in football history, comparing himself to the likes of Lionel Messi in interviews during this season. For a club like Arsenal, when you're in the midst of a six-season trophy drought, talking yourself up like that when you can barely crack the starting XI most weeks is not the best way to endear yourself to the general populace. 

Clearly, it's time for Bendtner to move on. He's done all he can at Emirates (Gunners fans will be sure to remind him of that) and he needs a change of scenery in the worst way.

As the summer dragged on and the Dane was still on the roster, Gunners fans started to get restless. While the asking price for the wantaway striker was a little bit high, it wasn't obscene for a 23-year-old striker with the physical skills to thrive in most places that aren't Emirates.

Was Wenger letting Bendtner and his ego conduct the negotiations of fees? Had he scuppered a deal because he felt he deserved more salary? 

Now, with the Dane left out of the squad for the trip to Cologne, it appears that the end is mercifully near. The days of watching Bendtner whiff an inherently makeable shot are drawing to an end, as it would seem that perhaps the Gunners are close to striking a deal at last.

By holding Bendtner out of the squad in Cologne, Wenger has finally confirmed what Arsenal fans have been saying all along: It's time to bring an end to Bendtner's era at Emirates.

There just wasn't enough room for him, the rest of the club and his ego.