Where does Podolski fit into Wenger’s plans?

The signing of Alexis Sanchez has left many an Arsenal player and fan jumping for joy and has caused bookmakers including Paddy Power to slash the Gunners’ odds to 13/2 to win the Premier League title. Lukas Podolski has been doing something similar recently but not because of the Chilean’s arrival.

Once the German comes down from cloud nine after winning the World Cup and starts to think about what next season might bring, he might be wondering where he fits into Arsene Wenger’s grand plan.

Sanchez’s ability to play through the middle or out wide looks to be a sign that Podolski’s time at the Emirates Stadium may be coming to an end. The forward has never quite convinced at Arsenal, with his social media activities covering for some lacklustre performances on the field from a fan’s point of view.

His record of 28 goals in 69 appearances is not to be sniffed at but it is what else he brings to the team that has Wenger questioning his future at the club.

Put him up against Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Sanchez and you are hard pressed to make an argument as to why he should start ahead of any of those five. Joel Campbell might even consider himself on a par with Podolski off the back of a good season with Olympiakos and his stellar performances for Costa Rica at the World Cup.

At 29, with two years left to run on his current contract and off the back of becoming a World Cup winner, now might be the time to part with the German. The current transfer news hints that home town team Koln would probably jump at the chance to take him back if the price were right, while there are bound to be plenty of other teams interested in a player who does give you that most precious asset, goals.

Podolski’s future at Arsenal is likely to become clearer once he returns from his summer holiday but he is unlikely to be happy with a place on the bench if Wenger goes with his other options.

From whichever you look at it, it is certainly seems like Podolski and Arsenal are heading in different directions. At least we will always have Twitter to remember him by!