Arsenal Transfer News: Podolski Not Insurance Enough for Van Persie Departure

The quality and wisdom of Arsene Wenger's decision to bring Lukas Podolski from Cologne to Arsenal may ultimately depend on whatever agreement to which the club comes with skipper Robin van Persie.

And not just because the Gunners' emergent success in the English Premier League this past season was so strongly predicated on RVP's fancy feet, and that his departure would signal the start of yet another rebuild.

Though that certainly plays into it.

There's little doubt that Poldi is a solid attacking player in and of himself, one who's capable of playing anywhere from centre forward to playmaker to out wide. It's this versatility that made the German (of Polish descent) such a coveted acquisition for Le Professeur, even at £10.9 million in transfer fees.

However, that's not to say that Podolski will arrive at the Emirates Stadium without being saddled by significant concerns. He's performed well in the past for Cologne, a small club, and on the German national team, amongst players with whom he'd trained for years, but had something of an uneven stint with Bayern Munich, the most celebrated club in the Bundesliga. He spent three seasons with the Bavarians, during which he racked up 19 goals in 72 appearances.

His time at Allianz Arena was dampened by an ankle injury in October of 2006 that kept him off the pitch for five weeks. Arsenal, as it happens, have a dubious history with such woes, with Jack Wilshere, Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta all suffering serious knocks to their ankles just this season.

Podolski struggled to gain traction with Bayern thereafter. Luca Toni's arrival from Fiorentina knocked Poldi down the pecking order and practically spelled his end with the German giants shortly thereafter.

The concern for Podolski, then, is that he will falter if thrust into too large a role too soon should RVP leave for greener pastures. At the very least, Podolski would be among a small handful of attacking players on whom Wenger would call in the event that Van Persie can't resist the promises of exorbitant wages from the likes of Manchester City, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid, among others.

And nobody wants to see Podolski fall flat with a big spot on another big club, just as he did with Bayern. Of course, Arsenal aren't Bayern and Poldi is several years older, wiser and more mature since he was humbled in Munich, though he's still only just approaching his 27th birthday.

Still, the last thing Arsenal want, need or should do is thrust Podolski into the role of savior before he's so much as worn the club shirt in proper action. That will depend largely on how negotiations between Van Persie and Arsenal brass play out and what Wenger does on the transfer market thereafter.

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