EPL Transfer Poll: Lukas Podolski or Olivier Giroud

Cologne's German international striker Lukas Podolski has been rumored to be leaving the club for most of the past six months.

ESPNsoccernet.com reported this morning that Arsenal remain first in line with a £10.9 million offer.

Equally, the sports outlet has quoted his fellow German National teammate and Arsenal player Per Mertesacker as claiming that Podolski has been asking about life as a Gunner:

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"He has shown a lot of interest in recent weeks and has sent me a text message." 

"As you can imagine, I've told him positive things."

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However, Mertesacker also claimed that he does not know if a deal has been done:

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"I haven't been told that, and Lukas hasn't called me. I have written to him, though, to tell him how well he can do here and what a great club it is. I think it can happen."

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German national team general manager Oliver Bierhoff has also talked up Podolski's possible switch to England and Arsenal:

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"Lukas' heart belongs to the city of Cologne, but he is reaching an age right now that leads him to think about the future of his career."

"It would be a great move joining Arsenal for [Podolski]. Arsene Wenger is an exceptional manager [who] could make Lukas a stronger and better player."

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While Podolski's international career took off early, his club career took time to blossom. His promise at a young age with Cologne prompted German giants Bayern Munich to go after him.

However, several years in Bavaria failed to see him reproduce his national form at club level and he was shipped back to his former club, Cologne.

Between last season, 2010-11, and now, he has scored 30 goals for Cologne, with 16 his current total for this year with plenty of games reminaing.

Two seasons of consistent high production look to be proving that the now 26-year-old has matured into his skill at club level.

Arsenal is also hotly tracking another rising starlet in 25-year-old French international Olivier Giroud of Ligue 1 club Montpellier.

His career in French Ligue 2 with Tours, where he scored 36 goals between 2008-10, earned him a move to his current club Montpellier for the 2010-11 season.

Since his arrival in the top flight of France, Giroud has continued to impress with a 12-goal and three-assist campaign last season and he has already raced out to 20 goals and seven assists this season, including an international goal for France scored against Podolski's Germany in early March 2012.

Arsenal, Tottenham and Podolski's old club Bayern Munich are all said to be interested in the Frenchman, but he seems more linked with Arsenal than any other club, according to reports from Metro and the Daily Mirror.

In the long run, I believe Podolski would be a better fit for the English Premier League, but which is the better fit to join Arsenal is another question to be answered.

Now it is down to you fans and readers to vote for who you would rather see in England's top flight.

But news does look to already have Podolski in the Gunners' strip according to the Independent.

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