Arsenal Transfer News: Arsene Wenger Needs to Sort Out Nicklas Bendtner's Future

So wait, Nicklas Bendtner's still playing football?

How exactly the 25-year-old striker remains an Arsenal player is a lingering question. After his loan deals the last two years and little to no impact on the club's preseason, you almost forget Bendtner still plays for the Gunners.

Arsene Wenger spoke to Arsenal's official website this weekend and said that Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh are likely to be gone on permanent deals (h/t Sky Sports' Pete O'Rourke). Supporters will likely be happy to hear that news, as both players had struggled since moving to the Emirates.

Perhaps more troubling is what he had to say about Bendtner. Wenger revealed, "Bendtner we are nowhere. At the moment he is completely here."

Eintracht Frankfurt were rumoured to be in for Bendtner, but that deal hit a roadblock in mid-July, as Sky Sports reports.

At this point, you have to wonder what is going on in the mind of Bendtner. Is he really so deluded that he believes he's worth more than what opposing clubs are offering him wage-wise?

He's like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, if Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a marginal football player.

Although the club hasn't spent money on transfers and lost out on Gonzalo Higuain, the summer has been somewhat promising for Arsenal. Selling Gervinho and Chamakh are good starts, and youth players like Gedion Zelalem and Chuba Akpom are coming along well.

One of the negative aspects of the summer has been Bendtner. He hasn't done anything on the pitch, and the club cannot get rid of him.

Arsenal shouldn't leave it late again like they have for the past two seasons with his loans to Sunderland and Juventus and wait until deadline day to work out a deal.

To a certain extent, though, if you can't find any takers, you might as well ensure you get as much as you can from Bendtner and start giving him time on the pitch. If he won't leave, maximize whatever value he has. That's admittedly not much, but whatever it would be represents more than having him sit at home and collect a paycheck, like Wayne Bridge and Michael Johnson did for Manchester City.

Unless Luis Suarez or another forward comes in, Olivier Giroud is the only natural centre-forward the club has. Theo Walcott has had success as a forward, but he's still more of a winger who occasionally plays as a forward.

Bendtner at least gives you some depth at the position. If Giroud or Walcott pick up an injury, then you have a warm body who can fill in during emergency situations.

Wenger needs to reach that point where he either goes all-in on Bendtner and devotes the time and energy to make the player better, or he should publicly proclaim that Bendtner is here and that someone should take him.

Arsenal don't want him anymore, and they'll do whatever necessary to facilitate a move.

It's really a no-win situation. The Gunners will either have to welcome Bendtner back into the team, or they'll have to pay a certain percentage of his wages or accept a meager fee to see him off.

Whatever Wenger is going to do, he has to figure it out soon.