Wenger praises Podolski and wants him at Arsenal

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger heaped praise on Germany international Lukas Podolski after his brace secured a 3-1 win against Fulham last night in the Premier League.

The 28 year old, who joined the Gunners last summer from Cologne, has been linked with a move back to his homeland this summer with Wenger opting to keep him on the bench. However, the Frenchman insisted that he wants Podolski to remain at the Emirates despite significant interest from FC Schalke.


"I am pleased for him because he hasn't started much recently more because of the balance of the team than his performances," Wenger told a press conference.


"I am pleased because he plays with a lot of spirit and he can score goals.


"Everybody in the squad loves Lukas and I want to keep him.


"When a player doesn't play he is not happy and recently he did not always start but if you look at his and Giroud's goalscoring record it's very good."