Former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner has revealed that in one heated exchange with Arsene Wenger, he labelled him a "w***er" – just so the manager would sell him.
The Danish striker came through the Arsenal ranks, spending a decade with the club and enjoying three loans away from north London. Speaking in the January 2021 issue of FourFourTwo – available now in shops and online with free delivery – however, Bendtner said that his time at the Gunners wasn't always happy - and that things boiled over in 2013 when Wenger refused to let him leave the club.
"We respected each other and had very good meetings – we were honest with each other," Bendtner said, "But at that moment [in the summer of 2013], I wanted to leave Arsenal and Crystal Palace had made a great offer for me."
"The deal fell through because Arsenal couldn’t find a replacement."
Bendtner eventually left Arsenal the following summer but in 2013, he revealed that he resorted to insulting his manager just to try and change his mind.
"Wenger phoned and said, 'Sorry, you can’t go.' That felt like a massive blow to me, as I’d been waiting all week to leave. I called Arsene a w***er and an a***hole so he would have to sell me, but it didn’t work."
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"That showed me his character because he explained that it was for the best of the football club that I stayed. It was hard to argue with him."
"That was the only time we had a heated conversation – all the other times it was just him shouting at me!"
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