Pod may not be the right deal for Wenger

There has been a lot of speculation linking Lukas Podolski with a move to the Premier League, more accurately at the Emirates Stadium with Arsenal but is he really what the Gunners need? And is he worth the reported ten million pound fee?

I seem to think not, as Arsene Wenger doesn’t have too many problems in attack. If they cling on to fourth place or get third this season and finish with Champions League qualification then the van Persie issue will be put to bed. Walcott is finding form, Gervinho has had a solid start at the Emirates and Oxlade-Chamberlain will be pushing those two next term.

Marouane Chamakh has not had the greatest of seasons by any stretch of the imagination but he started his first season with Arsenal very well. If he were to be given more games he would get goals and he is not a terrible back up to van Persie and neither is Nicklas Bentdner, who is currently on loan at Sunderland. It is debatable whether the big Dane will be happy to sit on the bench though.

The theory of playing Walcott through the middle to get the best out of him may also have to take a back seat if the German international was to don the red shirt. It is doubtful that Wenger is going to spend the best part of ten million pounds on a back up player so someone has to make way.

We have seen Podolski on fire at international tournaments with Germany and the fact that he is nearing 100 caps for Germany at 26 years of age is something to admire and his international form will not and should not be slated by anyone.

It is his club form, mostly after his last big move to Bayern Munich that yields some worrying numbers. He started well at FC Cologne where in three seasons, two of which in the Bundesliga, the hitman bagged an impressive 46 league goals in 81 appearances.

Those figures earned him a move to the Bavarian giants but it was a hugely disappointing spell. He hit 15 league goals in 71 appearances after the reported ten million pound fee but he was still hitting the back of the net regularly for Germany. It was a strange situation but he needed to find some form at club level to stay on the international scene.

A move back to Cologne after some advice from Joachim Low was on the cards in 2009 but he still only netted twice in the league, ironically once against Bayern that season. The 2010/11 season was better for him hitting a satisfactory 13 league goals in 32 games.

This season has been where Podolski has shone once more and 16 league goals in 20 appearances is outstanding and he seems to have his confidence back but Podolski seems to be a player that buckles under the pressure of top level club football and the Arsenal move could be too much for him.

Can Arsenal really wait a season or two for Podolski to settle when there is so much competition for the top four spaces from at least seven clubs in the Premier League.

It would be a risky move from Wenger to bring in Podolski. The problem is if Arsenal fans want Chamakh out for costing nothing after starting okay, what if Podolski gets off to a slow start or goes through spells of not scoring, which looking at the figures is likely. He may well be a good signing eventually but time is precious in football.

I believe that a move to London for the German international would not be a good move for him, Arsenal or the players at the Emirates. A demanding midfield presence to set up alongside Wilshere, Arteta and Ramsey should be the Arsenal manager’s main priority and another centre back. That ten million could go a long way somewhere else.

Mark Young

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