Arsene Wenger admits Nicklas Bendtner’s Nottingham Forest switch surprised him

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The Gunners’ former striker is preparing to come up against his former side in the EFL Cup.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger has admitted that he was surprised when he heard that former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner had decided to join Nottingham Forest, the Daily Mirror reports.

The 28-year-old had been without a club for the last few months, having left Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg towards the end of last season, but recently ended up returning to the English game by signing a two-year deal with the Championship side (via Forest’s official website).

Nottingham Forest’s Nicklas Bendtner

Having made over 100 league appearances for Arsenal, and having subsequently enjoyed a brief loan spell with Juventus before joining Wolfsburg, the forward’s decision to move to the City Ground would have undoubtedly caught plenty of people’s attention.

And ahead of the EFL Cup clash between Bendtner’s current side and the Gunners, Wenger – who handed the Dane his first-team debut in the same competition nearly 11 years ago – has suggested that while he was not expecting such a deal to happen, he thinks that it could be a good move for him.

Wenger and Bendtner during the striker’s spell at Arsenal

“It was a surprise to me that Nicklas signed for Forest, but at some stage Nicklas needs to restart his career,” he told the Mirror.

“You have to adapt and we are in a job when we have to show we are able to put our effort in everywhere and compete.

“Sometimes when you are a player of his quality, you just need an opportunity. We know his qualities and he is a top-quality player, but he needs to play.”

Having so far failed to score for Philippe Montanier’s men during either of his two substitute appearances – though, he perhaps should have done during their draw with Rotherham when his close-range header hit the post – he will surely be determined to make an impact if he gets the chance against the Premier League side.

Bagging a goal against his former club, and potentially helping Forest cause an upset, would undoubtedly help the maverick forward begin to prove that people who have written his career off already were wrong to do so.