Lukas Podolski admits his decision to leave Premier League giants Arsenal for a loan spell at Serie A powerhouses Inter Milan was a mistake.
In hindsight, the former Germany international may have opted to stick around and fight for his place under Arsene Wenger instead.
Lukas Podolski was finding game time hard to come by at the Emirates. But, if he thought that a move to Italy midway through the 2014/15 season was the solution, then he was very much mistaken.
Podolski scored just once in 17 Serie A games, that disappointing Serie A return doing little to convince Arsenal that he was worth another chance. The Gunners accepted a low-ball bid from Galatasaray almost immediately after the former Bayern Munich forward returned to North London.
Former Arsenal forward shares regrets
“If I went back, I wouldn’t accept the Nerazzurri’s proposal,” Podolski now tells Gazzetta dello Sport. “I found out that moving on loan during the winter transfer window is not a good idea.”
“It often takes a footballer a couple of months to get used to the city, the fans and the style of play. If you arrive during the season, it’s not easy.
“And, if things go wrong, the first to pay the price are the players on loan, who in any case are destined to say goodbye at the end of the season.
“It wasn’t a lucky year, but I learned my lesson.”
Gunners smash Sheffield United
Arsenal paid around £11 million to sign Podolski from Bundesliga outfit Koln in the summer of 2012. Now 38, the veteran attacker is still going strong at Polish outfit Gornik Zabrze. He’s scored three goals and set up four more in 2023/24.
Arsenal, meanwhile, currently possess a frontline even Podolski at his peak may struggle to force his way into. Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka tore Sheffield United to pieces in Monday’s 6-0 shellacking at Bramall Lane.
Midfielder Jorginho was excellent again in the Steel City. His agent, however, cannot rule out Jorginho following in Podolski’s footsteps at Inter Milan.
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