2012 Summer Signings – Lukas Podolski (FC Cologne approx fee £10.5m)

Last summer Arsene Wenger lost his best player and captain when Robin Van Persie moved to Manchester United. The Frenchman had anticipated the Dutchman’s departure already and his first summer signing was announced at the end of April 2012, when Lukas Podolski agreed to join the club from struggling FC Cologne.

Arsenal had been tracking Podolski for some time. Rumours came out in December 2011 that Wenger was planning to sign the German international in the upcoming January transfer window. Arsenal didn’t get Podolski that winter, instead they signed Thierry Henry back on a short-term loan deal from the New York Red Bulls.

Replacing Van Persie would be a difficult challenge. Podolski wasn’t the only striker that was brought in. Olivier Giroud, whose debut season at the club will be talked about in a post similar to this in the near future, was also signed to help replace a man who scored 132 goals for the club in 8 years.

Coming into the club, Podolski had a point to prove. He wasn’t happy at being a big fish in a small pond at Cologne. The German club had been relegated from the Bundesliga and Podolski had to move on. This had happened before though – Podolski moved to Bayern Munich in 2006 after Cologne’s relegation. Coming off of an impressive World Cup that summer, a lot was expected of him in Munich. Unfortunately for him though, it didn’t really work out for him. So in the summer of 2009, he returned to Cologne again. Following their relegation again, London was calling for Podolski, who netted 18 goals in an otherwise dismal campaign for the club.

Podolski had a quick return to Cologne as Arsenal played a friendly there in August, 6 days before the season began at home to Sunderland. Podolski netted twice against his hometown team, one coming from the penalty spot. He would start the first game of the season up front, but was subbed in the 63rd minute for Olivier Giroud, as the Gunners disappointingly opened the season with a goalless draw.

Arsenal would draw their next game 0-0, this time away to Stoke. The media already started to put pressure on the team as they couldn’t find the back of the net against two average Premier League clubs. All those Van Persie goals from the year before put the pressure on the two men coming into replace him, they had to hit the ground running fast.

Thankfully for Podolski, it wouldn’t take much longer for Arsenal and him to start finding the net. September was a good month for the German as he scored Arsenal’s first goal of the season, the first in a 2-0 win away to Liverpool. He followed that up by scoring a stunning free-kick in the next game, a 6-1 thrashing of Southampton at the Emirates. Podolski also scored in the opening game of the Champions League group stages, a 2-1 win away to French side Montpellier.

He continued that form into October with a goal at home to Olympiakos in the Champions League too. The goals would dry up for about a month or so before the German hit form once again. Podolski scored Arsenal’s second goal in a 3-3 draw with Fulham in November and a week later he scored his first ever goal in a North London Derby, as Arsenal beat their local rivals Tottenham 5-2 for the second consecutive season. He saved the best for last when he scored a stunning volley in the 2-0 win over Montpellier at the Emirates, which one the club’s Goal of the Season award.

Lukas Podolski celebrates scoring against Tottenham last November. Picture: Daily Mail.

Podolski was becoming a regular in the team at Arsenal and a regular on the scoresheet too. The German only missed one game in December, a Champions League defeat away to Olympiakos, a game which saw Arsene Wenger rest many of his star players. Podolski scored goals in comfortable wins over Reading and Newcastle as Arsenal ended 2012 on a high. Podolski received a standing ovation from the crowd against Newcastle.

Lukas kept the goals coming in 2013. He scored against Swansea in the 3rd round of the FA Cup and then a fabulous strike from 25 yards out against West Ham in what was a fine performance from Podolski.

Podolski opened his account for February with a deflected free-kick against Stoke. It wasn’t the prettiest goal scored last season, but they all count and come the end of the season, goals like that proved vital in the final standings. He also scored a goal against former club Bayern Munich to give the Gunners hope in a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates.

After that game, Podolski’s game time became more limited. Perhaps it was the fact he hadn’t played through the winter in previous seasons, having spent all of his career in Germany, where they have a very long winter break over there.

In April, he scored his first goal in almost 2 months in a 3-1 win against Norwich. When Olivier Giroud was sent off at Fulham towards the end of the season, he was banned for 3 games. There were only 4 games to go in the season. Podolski started through the middle against Manchester United as Arsenal drew 1-1 with the newly crowned champions.

He would end the season on a high though, scoring twice against Wigan in a 4-1 win against the FA Cup winners – a win that sent Wigan down to the Championship and kept the Gunners top four fate in their own hands.

Even when Olivier Giroud returned from his suspension, Podolski started the final game of the season at Newcastle, helping his team to a 1-0 win, a result that booked Arsenal’s place into a Champions League qualifier in August.

Overall I’d rate Podolski’s first year as a successful one. He’s very popular with the fans and he scored a fair few goals. There’s no denying that the goals dried up a little as the season progressed and he certainly played a lot less than he was doing. There was speculation of a rift between him and Wenger and he has been linked with a few clubs in the summer, but Arsenal have made it clear that he is staying, as has the German.