Lukas Podolski, the former Arsenal and current Górnik Zabrze player, has shared intriguing insights into his football career in a podcast with 1. FC Köln.
He revealed rejecting a move to Manchester City and other significant offers, emphasising his loyalty to his roots.
Lukas Podolski, the former Arsenal fan favourite, has revealed in the 1. FC Köln podcast that he turned down a move to Manchester City during his time at Bayern Munich.
Podolski, known for his time at various top clubs including 1. FC Köln, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Galatasaray, Vissel Kobe, Antalyaspor, and Górnik Zabrze, discussed his career choices and the offers he received from various clubs.
Podolski said, “I was in negotiations with Manchester City when I was at Bayern Munich.
“They visited my advisor and me in Munich and wanted to convince me to change. That was the time when Man City started to build it up.”
Despite the interest from Manchester City, Podolski chose to return to Cologne before eventually moving to London to join Arsenal in 2012.
Apart from Manchester City, Podolski also had offers from Bundesliga clubs HSV and Borussia Dortmund. He kept the details of these offers private, but it is known that HSV had been interested in him since 2005 and Borussia Dortmund showed interest in 2013.
In addition to these offers, Podolski revealed that he had received lucrative proposals from China, where he could have earned €50 million a year. “I could have gone to China and earned €50 million a year.
“My advisor met with various clubs. They were crazy and wanted to sign me when the hype came,” he explained.
However, Podolski chose to prioritise his life over chasing money, saying, “I just said: What am I supposed to do? I want to live and not chase everything.”
Currently, Podolski has a contract with Górnik Zabrze in Poland until 2025. While he has left it open whether he will end his career in his home country, he acknowledged, “You can’t cheat your age. At some point the battery will run out.”
Off the field, Podolski has engaged in business ventures, including securing a location for a new Mangal kebab branch in Cologne.
Despite his global football journey, Podolski maintains a deep love for 1. FC Köln, expressing a desire to one day be a regular fan.
“At some point, I want to travel with FC, go away, stand in the south curve, be a normal fan, have fun with my club. I want to experience that. 1. FC Köln is everything to me. FC took me in, took in my family, made me who I am today. Without FC, I wouldn’t have had this career. There is no word for it,” he said, showing his profound connection to the club.