Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Should Cash in on Lukas Podolski

Some players harbour a longstanding reputation for flourishing on the international landscape but failing to cut the mustard when it comes to domestic matters; Lukas Podolski is a footballer who undeniably fits into this category.

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For all the fine things the forward has done in Germany colours down the years, the Arsenal supporters have rarely seen the best from the 29-year-old since he signed from 1. FC Koln in 2012. And with a host of players seemingly ahead of the former Bayern Munich man in the Emirates pecking order, now would surely be the right time for club and player to go their separate ways.

But it’s not an opinion shared by Arsene Wenger, who has told beIN Sports (via the Press Association, h/t The Guardian) that the Arsenal No. 9 will be going nowhere in the January window:

"

It is not established at all that he will leave at Christmas.

It is me who sets the price and (the reported deal) doesn’t correspond at all to his price. He is not for sale and there is no offer.

Podolski plays a position where there is a big competition. He came very late from his holidays [after the World Cup in the summer], so he started after his team-mates and was not good physically.

"

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Although the German is a popular figure among the Arsenal players and fans, this union doesn’t seem to be benefiting the club and especially not Podolski. It’s vital that the forward is getting regular playing time, but at the time of writing, he has yet to start a single game for Arsenal in any competition this season, per WhoScored.com.

Typically, Podolski is a bright and industrious player, but the lack of action seems to have sapped his enthusiasm in the brief appearances he has made. It's something John Cross of the Daily Mirror noted during an Arsenal match earlier in the season:

With Theo Walcott back in contention for a starting berth and myriad other talented players vying for a spot in the XI as an attacking midfielder, the chances of Podolski getting a start in the weeks to come are slim. Sure, Arsenal are in a poor run of form at the moment, and subsequently, perhaps he deserves a chance. But even if Wenger changes some personnel, there’s no guarantee of minutes for the German.

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The lack of minutes are not doing his chances for the national team any good either, as noted here by German football expert Cristian Nyari:

German football legend Rudi Voller thinks that Podolski may have to push for a move away from the Emirates if he is to rekindle his toiling international career, per Bild (h/t Sky Sports): "Lukas is a very good player who always faces up to the challenge. Competition has got fiercer, but it says a lot that he is still always involved (for Germany). Of course it's an advantage for a player's self-confidence when he is playing regularly, though."

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You suspect this is something Podolski himself is all too aware of, and he’s already hinted at the possibility of a January move, per The Independent. But as Wenger has boisterously claimed, ultimately, the decision rests with him; if the Frenchman doesn’t want to move Podolski on, then he’ll have to make do with being a bit-part player for a little longer yet.

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His versatility is something that Wenger will appreciate, as Podolski is capable of playing as a striker, just in behind or operating on either flank. But even if Arsenal were to suffer injuries to Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla, players like Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott are capable and seemingly much more favourable deputies at the moment.

It'd be harsh to label Podolski as a Premier League flop, but after two-and-a-half years in English football, a move abroad is surely the best option for him. After all, the German still possesses those enviable goalscoring instincts and a hammer of a left foot, so there should be a host of sides on the continent willing to take him off Arsenal’s hands and give him a much more pertinent role in their respective setups.

Although Wenger has moved to quash any talk of a sale, with the attacking midfield riches he has at his disposal, should a team match the figure he has in mind, surely the Arsenal boss wouldn’t stand in the way of a peripheral figure player going in search of some much-needed football.