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Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger has put an end to speculation surrounding Lukas Podolski’s sale in the next transfer window in January. There were reports circulating around that the German forward was seeking a move for first-team football elsewhere.
Podolski has not yet started a game for Arsenal in the Premier League this season. He has been used as a substitute instead wherein he came off the bench and scored a dramatic last-minute goal to rescue the Gunners in the Champions League away fixture to Anderlecht.
In an hour long interview to beIN Sports, Wenger talked on the reasons for which the the World Cup winner has not started for the club and also called the reports of a cut-price transfer deal as “fabricated”. Italian side Napoli is rumoured to be one of the several interested clubs in the 29-year-old.
Podolski not for sale
“Podolski plays a position where there is 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. It’s not established at all that he will leave at Christmas. It is me who sets the price and it [Podolski’s reported valuation] doesn’t correspond at all to his price. He is not for sale and there is no offer.
Today's newspapers have an advantage. They know more than us. But the story is completely fabricated.”
Arsenal don’t lack attacking options with Costa Rican Joel Campbell also in the team, while Chile forward Alexis Sanchez has been in fine form after being bought for £30m from Barcelona. But the Gunners have troubles at the back, with injuries to full-back Mathieu Debuchy and centre-half Laurent Koscielny and they lack defensive players in midfield.
Arsenal will next play Manchester United at home on Saturday, hoping to come back from their 2-1 loss at Swansea before the international break which put them in sixth place. They are now 12 points behind the leaders Chelsea.
