by Nia Griffiths

Arsene Wenger has confirmed that the main reason he sold Lukas Podolski to Galatasaray was because he couldn’t give him the confidence and trust the German needed as a player.

It was suspected for a long time that Poldi would leave. He was unhappy with his lack of playing time and although we’d sent him out on loan last season to Inter Milan, it was clear the situation hadn’t changed. Allowing him to leave was the best course of action for both him and the club and, as Wenger has now confirmed, will now allow him to reach his potential elsewhere.

“Lukas Podolski played in a position that is congested because we have so many wide players or players who can play wide,” Wenger said. “I felt that the opportunities for him to play with the stature a player has, he needed to go somewhere and play.”

He continued, “I believe it’s a good move for him because if Lukas has confidence and trust from the manager, he has the potential and the talent. I was not sure I could give that to him here.”

Poldi only featured 18 times for Inter Milan last season and only scored once – not great for a striker. If you look at the options we have, their stats are far better. Danny Welbeck, for example, had his fair share of injuries but still managed to score eight goals in 34 appearances.

With this in mind, I believe both Poldi and Wenger made the right decision.