Via Sport Witness comes news from Italy that Lazio would like to take Nicklas Bendtner on loan until the end of the season.

The Dane is back in full training now and likely to start Friday’s FA Cup game against Coventry. He is also the most like for like Giroud replacement in the squad, so given the reliance on the Frenchman it would be an odd decision to allow him to leave without signing a replacement.

Although Arsene Wenger has consistently said he’s open to strengthening his squad in January, we remain no closer to making a signing and although Bendtner is still an unconvincing option to many, he’s still an option and letting him go would weaken the squad.

Much can happen between now and the end of the window, but the boss has suggested he’s willing to give Bendtner games after getting himself back in the correct shape

“”He is a player who has gone through some difficult periods so I just want to give him great credit,” he said after the Cardiff game.

“I told him already today that he is back to the level I want him to be at, and if he continues to develop like that he will come back into the team.”

Of course this is the same Arsene Wenger who said Andre Santos was ‘still important’ and then loaned him to Gremio less than a week later.

Anything could happen, we tells ya. Anything.

But it probably won’t.