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The transfer of German international Lukas Podolski from his home club FC Cologne (1.FC Köln) to English Premier League side FC Arsenal is according to the German and English media a done deal, only the official confirmation is awaited from the two clubs and the player.
Podolski, who has a contract until summer 2013 at FC Cologne, has been sought after by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for quite some time now. He had bid for Podolski last summer and in the winter transfer window, but Cologne and the player did not want to make the transfer happen at that time.
Things have changed over the last few weeks with Podolski no longer happy with the non-existent progress in Cologne and is said to have handed in a transfer request for this summer, which has been accepted by the club. As per reports in the German tabloid Bild the transfer fee is in the region of 13 Million Euros with Podolski set to earn 7 Million Euros at Arsenal.
The question that comes to mind is if Podolski can make it in London? The Gliwice-born (lies in Poland) footballer had joined FC Cologne in 1995 as a youth player, made his professional debut at the club and then went on to play three years in-between from 2006 onwards for FC Bayern Munich, but things didn’t work out and he returned to Cologne in 2009 for a fee of 10 Million Euros.
Since then it is said that Podolski can only perform at FC Cologne and for the German national team. But now Podolski, who turns 27 this summer, could opt to try his luck in London where he would find a fellow German international in Per Mertesacker and a manager in Arsene Wenger, who speaks German and is known to handle players very well. It could be the right step to further develop his career.
This season Lukas Podolski is the lifeline of FC Cologne in the Bundesliga relegation battle with the striker having scored 16 of the clubs 31 overall goals. And he has reiterated that he would give everything for the club until the very end, which nobody doubts knowing his affection for the club and the city.
