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