ANALYSIS
By Clark Whitney | German Football Editor
In 2006, he was voted the World Cup’s best young player ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Over the last seven years he has been capped 95 times for Germany. For country, only five players – legends like Gerd Muller, Karl-Heinz Rummenige and Jurgen Klinsmann – managed to score more goals for die Mannschaft than he has by the age of just 26 years. Based on his international record, Lukas Podolski is already a football legend.
But as strikers have come and gone in recent years, the name ‘Podolski’ has rarely, if ever, been commonly found high on the list of the world’s elite. He is – or at least was – an anomaly, a player who could perform even in what was a rather ordinary Germany team, but who failed to fulfill his potential at Bayern Munich after his transfer in 2006.
Podolski returned to his native Koln in 2009 and after a rough first 18 months, has had a tremendous resurgence of form in the 2011 calendar year. In the second half of last season, he managed nine goals in 17 appearances. And since the new season began he has improved further, finding the net 14 times and delivering five assists in 15 Bundesliga games.
Podolski’s prolific form has earned him interest from many clubs, both domestic and abroad, but just as his playing career has had an unorthodox path, the striker’s transfer profile is complex and rather extraordinary. His destination is not a simple matter of money or prestige, but one also of the heart: a cliche, perhaps, but one that is fully justified by the player’s actions.
Having spent the vast majority of his life in Koln, Podolski loves his city, and it loves him. He is a local hero, and feeds on the support of his fans. He only transferred to Bayern in 2006 because his beloved club had been relegated for the second time in three years, and even that was a mistake: Podolski’s heart just wasn’t in Bavaria, and he flopped, returning home after three unsuccessful years.
Having rediscovered his feet at Koln, the 26-year-old is no longer ‘Prinz Poldi,’ but a veritable king. He receives €1 million less in wages than at Bayern, but is comfortable in his hometown. He visits his youth team, Bergheim, every week, and recently attended a fan club’s birthday party.
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LUKAS PODOLSKI | ALL-TIME BUNDESLIGA STATS |
It is true that speculation over Podolski’s future has in part been fuelled by the player himself. He has grown frustrated with the situation of a side that despite having one of Germany’s best youth academies, has stagnated. It is conceivable that he might leave, although he revealed on Wednesday that a move to nearby Schalke – which would allow him to live in Koln but be in the ranks of a team that will regularly play international football – is not an option, nor is any other club in Germany.
A move to any modest squad in Russia, Turkey, Italy, or otherwise, can also be ruled out: money has in the past proven to be of little meaning to him in his decisions, and from a sporting perspective he would hardly be making a step up, if at all.
| Podolski’s transfer saga in quotes |
| If I decide to leave Koln, it will be to move abroad – Dec. 14 I have no influence on the comments of directors from other clubs, and I really don’t want to react to that and deny things week after week
– Dec. 11 Arsenal are a top club. They have a good team and play with the best in England I am not forced to stay in Koln |
On the other hand, the glamour of a big international club – a Milan, Arsenal, or Juventus – could tempt Podolski away from Koln. And all three sides have been monitoring his situation. He would not be the star at any such team, and a transfer would be to a less supportive environment. Plus, having failed at a big club once before, there is a precedent impeding a move. But he would have the opportunity of prestige.
Koln will not sell their prized asset in January, this much is sure. In the summer, though, he faces a crucial decision: to extend his current deal, which is set to expire in 2013, or to force Koln to let him go while they can still command a transfer fee.
Podolski’s first point of contact will be Koln, and a lot is riding on his club’s performance between now and May. Had they not been held to a draw with Mainz on Wednesday, the Rhine side would have been seventh in the Bundesliga table, and in a potential Europa League spot. Should they finish the season in such a standing or better, Podolski will almost surely stay. But if things go wrong, Koln’s performance might for a second time see them lose their greatest star.
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