Lukas Podolski said that he didn’t not want to leave Arsenal, with the World Cup champion having his hand pressured by a lack of regular playing time.
The 34-year-old insists his aim was to invest some time in north London, but eventually he was compelled by greed to step away from the squad of Arsene Wenger.
Podolski said to Arsenal Player: “There are still certain issues. ’You weren’t pleased if you don’t practice, maybe the coach isn’t satisfied if you don’t practice the way he likes, maybe he’s seen some player above you?”
“I thought I was happy in Arsenal, I assumed I was happy for starting XI or going on sooner but it wasn’t the way it was. I had several talks with Arsene regarding my case and I told him, ‘I want to participate, I want to come out more,’ and of course, he’s the boss, he’s got to decide, he can’t give players a bonus or promise that he will participate all the time. No coach will give it to you. But I wanted to step on for myself.”
A prolific strike rate for his nation at Cologne had made the strong frontman into a much sought-after commodity. While luring the German player to Emirates Stadium in 2012, the Gunners were thus perceived to have pulled off quite a coup.
Arsenal secured his presence but then struggled to channel it toward maximal potential. They couldn’t decide what the best position for the player would be. As a consequence, he was limited to only 39 Premier League starts over three years.
Podolski made a total of 82 Arsenal appearances, with 31 goals registered in those outings. He finally leaving for Inter on loan until a permanent move to Galatasaray was signed.
