by Nia Griffiths

Wolfburg sporting director, Klaus Allofs, has given Nicklas Bendtner an ultimatum: get fit or leave.

While at Arsenal, the striker was known for being up and down in terms of fitness. He would literally either go hard or go home. There was no grey area. Sometimes he’d disappear on holiday, only to come back looking like a different person.

His lack of enthusiasm for the athletic part of the football lifestyle began to show on the pitch and we had to sell him in the end, despite what a bright prospect he’d once been, after loan moves to Birmingham, and later on, Sunderland and Juventus.

Nicklas Bendtner poses during the team presentation of VfL Wolfsburg
WOLFSBURG, GERMANY – JULY 16: Nicklas Bendtner poses during the team presentation of VfL Wolfsburg at Volkswagen Arena on July 16, 2015 in Wolfsburg, Germany. (Photo by Joachim Sielski/Bongarts/Getty Images)

“The demands on a footballer in Germany are different to in England or in Denmark,” Allofs said. “If anybody wants to play for us then they can follow us. Anybody who doesn’t want to do that and does not get in line has no place at this club.”

I’m not entirely sure whether Allofs is saying you have to be fitter in Germany than in England, which I find to be a bit of an odd statement if so.

“If anybody wants to play for us then they can follow us. Anybody who doesn’t want to do that and does not get in line has no place at this club.

“I hope he realises that this does him good. He can really do with this to get better.”

So far, the Dane has featured just 28 times for the German team since signing last season and it appears the club want him to buck up his ideas, or he’s out.

The ultimatum could see the 27-year-old miss the Emirates Cup, with Wolfburg set to face Arsenal on July 26th.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!