Podolski – Should Arsenal consider keeping him?

Lukas Podolski is, according to reports, close to joining the Turkish club Galatasaray. The German international striker had a frustrating last season with both Arsenal and Inter Milan. Podolski lost favour with Arsene Wenger and was unable to get any game time under him for the first half of the season. Once it was clear that he was not in his plans, Podolski decided to make a January move.

The Italian club Inter came calling and the forward was loaned out for the reminder of the season. At first it looked like the best choice for Podolski because Roberto Mancini promised to include him as first choice. Well, nothing like that happened. And by the time the season ended, Podolski endured a further miserable time. He even went ahead and admitted that moving to Inter in retrospect was “a mistake”.

Once the loan term ended it meant only two possibilities for Podolski. In fact, only one – because, the stay in North London is highly unlikely; this leaves him with just one option. Look for a way out and sign for a new club.

So, when the Turkish giants Galatasaray came out with their interest in the striker earliest, it gave an option for the 30-year old. The interest of the club and the enthusiasm of the fans excited Podolski. The excitement prompted him to say that he would like to play for Galatasaray.

Podolski was talking to the Turkish giants’ official website. He went on to say that the club has great fans and he would love to play for them. Podolski was a natural goal scorer during his spells with FC Koln and Bayern Munich.Even at Arsenal, his arrival was met with warm reception and till last season he was an important squad player. But, his record for the last year doesn’t reflect any of his abilities. He scored only one goal in 18 games across all competitions for Inter. Podolski failed to make even a single Premier League start in the first half of the season. However, he scored three goals in six cup appearances.

According to Sky sources, the striker is already in talks over a move to Galatasaray. The transfer fee is rumored to be around £2 million but it isn’t a stumbling block by any means.

Podolski has 125 caps and 48 goals for the German national team. He signed for Arsenal in 2012 and cost the club £11 million from FC Koln. Since then, he made over 80 appearances for the Gunners and scored 31 goals in all competitions.

So, will the Gunners miss Podolski? Or do you think his time at the club is done and dusted?

Sridhar

Tags Galatasary Podolski

41 Comments

  1. I think there’s too much water under the bridge now, to be honest. I liked Poldi and he scored memorable goals for us. In recent memory he won a group game for us against an Anderlecht side full of kids to save some serious blushes, and his goals-to-minutes ratio during his time with us was pretty good for a man who didn’t often play as our spearhead.

    We do need a very focussed camp for next season, and I think any tensions between him and AW would be detrimental to that. I have to say, that despite some memorable contributions from him I think his time is up. Although I’m not slating him. Just sayin’.

    1. I’ll slate him….his ability has never been the issue, his professionalism has let him down big time and that’s not admirable at all. If he put half the time he spends on social media into improving his work rate, defensive contribution, ability with his back to goal….basically all his short-comings….he would’ve been a valuable asset.

      Always liked him, but I can’t stand players who coast by and expect their talent to keep them relevant. For 100k you you get top players who want to improve and help the team win, if Poldi was to stay it would only be as Social Media manager. Massively underwhelming transfer overall, promised so much and in the end never bothered.

      1. At times when Santos was there, Podolski WAS the left back. He played very deep and defended reasonably well. I think Podolski’s main issue was the same as Arshavin’s. He just works best in a free role. He was the focal point of Koln and really set up a large portion of the play himself. Playing in a structured role, that isn’t even his best position is not helping.

        I’m getting pretty tired of hearing people slate him as he is just a great goal scorer and by all accounts a very nice and fun guy to have around. While he may have slacked off some times, on the whole he worked pretty hard and did a lot more defending than some will give him credit for. Guys like Sanchez, Welbeck, and Ramsey have spoiled us for workhorses and no one seems to remember what it was like before that.

        Can we do better than Podolski? Of course, but to slate him like that is just ridiculous to me.

        1. Tell me which part of what I said is false.

          Podolski was lazy on the pitch, and showed little to no desire in developing as a footballer whilst at the club. He arrived with great quality in his left foot, terrific delivery and finishing….he leaves with the same traits. NO improvement whatsoever, and that is the measure of the professional behind the player.

          Don’t try and hit me with some ageist comment either as Cazorla proved this season that you’re NEVER too long in the tooth to refine parts of your game as long as you’re willing. Poldi has major talent, but he has no professionalism to go along with it. Only ridiculous aspect here is you trying to carve out some excuses for a guy who never bothered bettering himself in his entire career. Been the same player since he burst on the scene for Germany, he failed at Bayern, and failed at Arsenal because he didn’t measure up in the other aspects required to be a truly top player. Sorry that hurts you feelings, truth can have that affect.

          1. You offer vague intangibles. “unprofessional.” That is an opinion and cannot be proven either pro or con. That is what you do when you don’t have FACTS to support your position.

            1. Give it a rest. You also know Podolski did not improved at all and yes, he is extremely lazy.

            2. I explained my reasoning, if you’re upset a player you hero-worship is moving on that’s your problem. The “facts” you refer to are pretty apparent, he was subbed all the time, benched for extended periods, loaned, and then sold……but he clearly a real diamond in training and on match days. How did he do at inter also? ahh ok.

        2. thank you, I remember when podolski first came he was the only person up and down that left flank, covering for our full backs. Everyone was slating theo for not defending back then and his work rate slowly improved on the other flank.

          I won’t disagree that podolski wasn’t the greatest at combinations and playing triangles which is intricate to our style of play, but before wenger benched him at the beginning of the season he was the only person willing to slam the ball in from the byline which giroud thrives off and when he came inside he was a threat as he almost always shot on target and troubled the keeper. We definitely could have used him more effectively but I think his confidence was shot pretty quickly.

      2. So much nonsense. His “professionalism” let him down? What are you talking about? Just babble.

        Poldi should go because Wenger has not plans to use him. Period. End of story.

        Poldi has been an absolute professional and has maintained a great attitude the whole time at Arsenal. But Wenger does not want to use, so it is time.

        Some fans don’t like Poldi. But they have no real reason so they make up nonsensical, vague, non tangible, unprovable accusations. He is “unprofessional” or my favorite, he is “inconsistent.”

        Big load of rubbish.

        1. I doubt there are fans who not like Poldi. I don’t believe he’s unprofessional but definitely lazy and inconsistent. He goes into some games where you can’t actually see him.

        2. Blinkered much? “Wenger does not want to use him” OHHHH that’s why!? Here I thought usually managers have a reason for not using a player with Poldis ability…Wenger just doesn’t want to, got it.

          It’s def not because he didn’t develop his game to suit Arsenal, or improve in any aspect since joining the club…

          1. Charlie

            You have to give poldi credit in his 1st season he did a lot of tracking back and really did help out on defense. I think it’s when wenger benched him when he was playing good (as far as stats are concerned) screwed up his mentality and he probably felt he lost wengers faith and trust

  2. He has a killer left foot and seems like a nice guy but apart from those 2 things he has lot of weaknesses in his game and i don’t think he is someone that can help you win the title.

  3. If he was on 30-40k a week and content with an impact role I’d say sure.
    But unfortunately we play possession football and the open games he thrives on are few and far between. The position he favours is also occupied by a player who’s quite simply a different class.
    The 90k a week he earns simply doesn’t justify his likely input.

    1. You* want.
      I’m perfectly happy and proud for gibbs, per, arteta, welbeck and giroud to be in the squad thankyou very much

    2. Poldi was the best finisher in the league both full seasons with Arsenal – goals per minutes played, goals scored per shots taken, etc.

      Poldi was the youngest European player ever to reach 100 caps on one of the best national teams in the world.

      Poldi also has nearly 50 international goals for Germany with one of the best left foot strikes of all time.

      I don’t know what your definition of “average” is but Poldi is far more than average in my book. If you believe his time has come and gone, I won’t argue that. You could be right. No way for me to know for sure.

  4. Get rid of him asp.
    We have plenty to
    cover Sanchez’s
    3 games off.
    Also Podolski might get injured
    then we’d be stuck with him.
    He’s cost us 500k in wages
    since the season ended already.
    So let him go NOW.

    1. How would you know this? Do you have some Arsenal insider feeding you special info that nobody else has???

  5. Podolski should take another job as admin for official arsenal twitter and instagram. I really hope wenger could sign reus …

  6. There’s no need keeping him when its sure he isn’t gonna play much…He deserves more than that…I understand he has to move cause of euro 2016 and I respect that…I wish poldi all the best!!..forever a gunner in my heart!

  7. If Poldi was a Bouldy,
    We probably would of hold he,
    But as his f@cking lazy,
    It’s best that he should leave..

    (Sang in the style of an Irish Sea shanty in 4/4 time, key of C).

      1. This is not Jazz Josh with your key improvisations! But I will let it slip this once.

  8. if we want to win premier league or champions league we must have any type of players
    we need campbell poldi arteta and …….. to cover our world class player
    sanchez walcott ….. they cant play every single game , we need depth in our squad
    poldi is a good player , we cannot say he has a bad season because he didint play
    last season he scored important goal for us , and i love to see him again

  9. As the Diaby release had freed-up a space in Arsenal’s 25 man team which Per Cech has now occupied, another 1 space or 2 are required to be freed-up before the Boss can sign-on 1 or 2 new top Gunners. If the Boss has the intention to sign more new players, then the axe must fall on some current resident Gunners to pave way for the in-comers. We all now the Boss isn’t allowed to register more than 25 first team Gunners with the FA. Then who is or are the next Gunners that should pave that way? It is not a difficult guess for us the Gooners to make a guess as all indications have been pointing to Podolski and Campbell to pave way to enabled others to come in. I think the Boss will send Yaya Sanogo & Carl Jenkinson on loan deal again, and the rest of the Current squad are most likely be kept.

  10. As the Diaby release had freed-up a space in Arsenal’s 25 man team which Per Cech has now occupied, another 1 space or 2 are required to be freed-up before the Boss can sign-on 1 or 2 new top Gunners. If the Boss has the intention to sign more new players, then the axe must fall on some current resident Gunners to pave way for the in-comers. We all know that the Boss isn’t allowed to register more than 25 first team Gunners with the FA. Then who is or are the next Gunners that should pave that way? It is not a difficult guess for us the Gooners to make a guess as all indications have been pointing to Podolski and Campbell to pave way to enabled others to come in. I think the Boss will send Yaya Sanogo & Carl Jenkinson on loan deal again, and the rest of the Current squad are most likely kept.

  11. It’s a shame he’s going, he is a classy and well proven striker but he doesn’t fit in with the way Wenger sets up the team. It’s better for both parties that he moves on as he earns £100k a week, we can use that money elsewhere.

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