You don’t often see this at Arsenal

For once, a big name signing by Arsenal.

Yes, Jose Antonino Reyes and Andrey Arshavin may argue that statement but neither were as accomplished – 43 goals in 95 international appearances – and more promising – at 26 years old – as Lukas Podolski when they arrived in north London.

We have come to expect astute and ‘out-of-the-blue’ signings from Arsene Wenger over the years involving players whom we have never heard of until they were linked to the club. But this is not one of them. Podolski is is no Laurent Koscielny or Eduardo da Silva. His name will not leave you guessing or researching for too long because he is indeed one of the household names of football.

The Polish-born striker has been under the spotlight since he was 18 when he earned a call-up to Euro 2004 after a fantastic debut season with home club Cologne, scoring 10 goals in 19 Bundesliga appearances in the 2003/04 season. His career saw its lagging phase at Bayern Munich but he remained a star figure on the international stage for Germany where he beat Cristiano Ronaldo to the FIFA Young Player of the World Cup award in 2006. And four years later, he impressed again at the 2010 World Cup where England witnessed him score against them in Germany’s 4-1 win.

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And to top all that  off, Podolski showed up in this campaign with his best ever season in the Bundesliga, netting 18 times for FC Cologne thus far. That may be what has effectively attracted Arsenal to his signature but Lukas is not just about recent exploits. He has been around for a while. We know him and we know he is good. Arsene Wenger won’t have to tell us this time.

Of course, a player is judged only after he has performed on the pitch, and therefore, only time will tell whether Lukas Podolski will excel at Arsenal. His ability to adapt to Arsene Wenger’s tactics and keep up with the demands of Premier League football are all factors to consider, but there is no doubt that Lukas Podolski is a player who has what it takes.

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