Should Podolski have been allowed to stay at the North London club?
The dream is over for Lukas Podolski at Arsenal, who was shown the door over the weekend with Inter Milan taking the forward on a short-term loan with an eye for a permanent move.
But was this the right decision from Arsene Wenger; to release a player of Podolski’s quality?
We assess the manager’s thinking below looking at the key reasons the German should have stayed at the Gunners.
Potency infront of goal
Despite just one start in this season’s Champions League for Arsenal, Podolski scored three goals. In total he played less than 10% of the total Champions League campaign and arguably was responsibly for them even qualify at all with his late goal in Anderlecht and impressive strikes against Galatasaray
Goal per start
Playing at Arsenal for over two and a half seasons, Podolski has managed an impressive 31 goals from just 55 starts and 19 in his 39 starts in the league.
Can an attack as listless as the Gunners’ has looked in recent weeks really just turn its nose up at such a stat like that?
Arsenal’s squad depth
With Podolski on the way to Inter just who do Arsenal now have to strike fear into the hearts of men late in the match when legs are feeling heavy? Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell.
Yes, despite having a internationally renowned, 2014 World Cup winning striker with a rocket of a left foot the North Londoners will now have to turn to the oh so unreliable and inconsistent Campbell and Sanogo when they’re searching for that late, late equaliser. Good luck.
If Wenger had to turn to the gruesome twosome when his team were 1-0 down to Anderlecht in the Champions League, which they eventually won 2-1 thanks to some Podolski magic, would he be so quick to let the German go?
Morale
Podolski has turned into an almost Emmanuel Eboue cult figure and fan favourite despite his lack of game time during his last season at the Gunners (which may go some way to explaining why so many fans are heartbroken with his exit).
But his ability to befriend any in the squad and become almost the court jests of the Arsenal side will surely be missed as he goes to Italy as will the morale boosting presence he brought to the training ground.
Yes, despite his impressive goal record, his ability as an impact sub, his cheeky smile even; probably what fans will miss most from Podolski is his famous Instagram page which has seen us become accustomed with the German star’s unique sense of humour.
And perhaps offered some explanation as to why he’s always on the bench.
Indeed it was only apt the 29-year-old made his final farewell on the social media site, leaving an emotional tribute to Arsenal fans and the club.