Arsenal Transfer News: Nicklas Bendtner's Exit a Welcome Loss for Gunners

Arsenal's long wait is finally over. The player they've been agonizing over dealing for months now appears to be finally heading out of Emirates, much to the relief of the beleaguered fan base, who figure to be thrilled that the saga is finally over. 

No, not Cesc Fabregas. That saga figures to continue for another month, if not longer, and Arsenal fans seem to want to keep him around at this point (although that appears to be changing slowly). The player we're referring to here is one that might just be more talented than the Spanish captain, at least in his own mind. 

I'm referring of course to Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner. The big 23-year-old scorer has been on manager Arsene Wenger's chopping block for most of the summer after asking out of the Gunners' fold early in the summer, displeased with his role and the lack of hardware during his brief run at Emirates. 

According to a Mirror Football report, Bendtner's exit is near, as he's expected to complete a move to Sporting Lisbon over the weekend. The Portuguese club is in need of a striker, and the Gunners just happened to have a 23-year-old striker ready to be shipped out. 

For a while there, the Arsenal faithful got nervous that perhaps the deal wasn't going to happen. Wenger was reportedly asking a shocking £12 million for the want-away striker, and had found few teams actually willing to pay that sky-high price for his services. 

Fortunately, Wenger dropped his asking price a bit to get the cocky Dane off the roster, reportedly agreeing to a £9 million move with Sporting, and bringing Bendtner's strange tour of duty at Emirates to an end. 

The big striker never really lived up to his billing with the Gunners, coming in with considerable fanfare only to fail to deliver on any of it. He was renowned for his uncanny ability to whiff on what seemed to be routine goal chances, and his play at striker was subpar enough to convince Wenger to send him out to the wing despite his physical gifts. 

That wouldn't have been a problem given his age, had the 23-year-old not had an ego worthy of Cristiano Ronaldo. He talked a fantastic game, and seemed convinced that his skill level was well beyond what he'd ever shown with Arsenal. His ridiculous statements led many to believe that perhaps it was Bendtner, and not Wenger, who had set his price tag so shockingly high. 

This isn't to say that Bendtner wasn't a talented player; the big Dane still has excellent upside given his physical skills. He's incredibly gifted in the air, and does show the occasional nose for goal (only it seems to disappear in pressure packed moments). He's a skilled passer and has a powerful shot, and his size and strength make him good at holding the ball at the front. 

But Bendtner's ego and demeanor made him a poor fit with the Gunners almost from the start, and saw his playing time diminish. He struggled to find regular matches last season, and with the signing of Ivorian standout Gervinho, he was so far down Wenger's totem pole that it was time for him to leave. 

The deal isn't official yet; Bendtner still needs to agree to personal terms with Sporting and pass a physical with the Portuguese club, and given his valuation of his own skills, that's a very high-risk proposition. 

In the end, this was the right move for the Gunners and for Bendtner. He needed a fresh start away from Arsenal to live up to his potential, and Sporting provides him with that. Arsenal needed to be rid of Bendtner to free up time at the front for Gervinho, and to get a solid chunk of change in return for his services.

It was time to make a change, and Wenger has gotten a surprisingly good value for a player who never quite delivered on his promise, even if it wasn't as much as he'd hoped to get.

Something tells me Gunners fans will be okay with taking less cash to be rid of the big, brash Dane.