Former Arsenal star Lukas Podolski owns 30 kebab restaurants which has helped him raise his net worth to £177.5m - Reports

Former Arsenal star Lukas Podolski reportedly owns 30 kebab restaurants in his native Germany, alongside other businesses, which has propelled his net worth to a staggering £177.5 million.

According to SPORTbible, Podolski got motivated to start a career in the kebab industry when he experienced it first-hand in Istanbul after joining Galatasaray in 2015.

Podolski opened his first kebab shop in Cologne in 2018. Talking about his venture, he had said:

"You eat doner kebabs when you're young, when you're still playing and when you've finished playing – it's a perfect solution."

The former Arsenal forward had also opened Ice Cream United before the kebab shop, in the iconic Belgian district of the city. Talking about the amalgamation of tastes, he said:

"Ice cream and doner kebabs – I love it!"

Poldi, as he is fondly known, spent three seasons at Arsenal from 2012 to 2015. During his time at the Emirates, he scored 31 goals and assisted 18 more in 82 appearances, earning somewhat of a cult hero status among Gunners fans.

Podolski also made 130 appearances for the German national team, recording 49 goals and 31 assists in the process. He currently plays for and captains Gornik Zabrze in the Polish Ekstraklasa.

Tottenham Hotspur looking to steal long-term Arsenal and Liverpool target

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are looking to swoop in for long-term Arsenal and Liverpool target Adrien Rabiot, according to reports from Italian media outlet Corriere dello Sport.

The Frenchman, who currently plies his trade for Juventus in the Serie A, has previously played for Paris Saint-Germain and won multiple league titles at both clubs. He has expressed his interest in playing in the Premier League on multiple occasions.

This season, Rabiot has made 23 appearances for Juventus, scoring four times and assisting three. Overall, he has made 200 appearances for the Bianconeri, netting 21 times and assisting a further 15.

Manchester United and Juventus had agreed on a fee for the player last summer, but the deal reportedly fell through due to his wage demands.

Reports suggest that Spurs will not be waiting till the summer like the other top European clubs. They are expected to make formal contacts with the player in the coming weeks.

The report notes that German giants Bayern Munich are also interested in the player, while Juventus remain hopeful of extending his contract on fresh terms.

The only issue for Spurs would be Rabiot's astronomical wages. They will be hoping that Rabiot's dream of playing in the Premier League can help them in the negotiations.