Is there still a role for Lukas Podolski at Arsenal?

Lukas Podolski is one of football’s greatest curiosities. Everybody who has seen him play will tell you that he’s a top footballer. He’s got one of the best left pegs in world football. I’d argue that he’s one of the best finishers in the game. In that respect, he’s probably up there with the likes of Edinson Cavani, Jackson Martinez and pre-Manchester United Falcao.

And yet he’s never really managed to wrack up comparable figures (although I supposed you could point to his 18 goals in 31 games for FC Koln back in 2011/12). That’s because there’s a major problem with his game: if he’s not got the goal at his mercy, he’s more or less useless.

This is probably hyperbole (he’s actually a pretty good crosser of the ball), but he is the kind of player who tends to go missing from games. He doesn’t chase back, he doesn’t put in tackles and he doesn’t make life difficult for opposition defenders.

Unlike Alexis Sanchez, who hunts for the ball, Podolski just kind of hovers around, waiting for his chance to shine.

This must be why Arsene Wenger left him move to Inter Milan during the January transfer window as part of a loan deal. Up until that point, the German star had only played 12 times and many of those appearances were as a substitute. His frustration grew and grew until Arsene Wenger agreed to let him go.

Unfortunately, things haven’t got much better for Podolski since he’s move to the Serie A. He’s only played 6 times for Inter Milan and he has yet to find the back of the net.

This has led The Metro to claim that Inter Milan will not be offering him a permanent deal at the San Siro. As a result, he’s going to be shipped back to Arsenal.

This will rile some Arsenal fans, but I can’t help but feel that it’s good news. Consider this: would you rather have Lukas Podolski available as a substitute or Chuba Akpom? Who’s more likely to buy you a goal at this stage in his career?

However you try and twist things, Lukas knows how to find the back of the net. Maybe it’s worth giving him one more chance?

What’s your take? Is Lukas Podolski still the man for Arsenal?

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