Lukas Podolski Agrees Arsenal Transfer?

FC Koln striker Lukas Podolski has agreed terms with Arsenal over a move to the Emirates in the summer, according to The Daily Mail. The 26-year-old German striker has been a long term target for Arsene Wenger who knows he needs to alleviate the goal pressure away from Robin Van Persie. The Gunners announced huge annual profits this week and Wenger has the transfer war chest to get the finished article instead of a promising youngster. Bundesliga side FC Koln are resigned to losing their star player to the Premier League and have allowed Podolski to speak to Arsenal before a fee could be agreed. Arsenal are believed to value the player at around £8 million but FC Koln are demanding almost double that figure and a fee will have to be agreed in the summer before the transfer could go through. As we reported recently, Wenger has a huge transfer kitty for the next season and it is believed he is going to change his policy of buying promising young players to instead go after accomplished players across Europe. He also needs to show muscle in the transfer market to prove to Robin Van Persie that Arsenal are a side that can challenge for trophies as The Gunners attempt to get him to sign a contract that extends beyond next season, the end of which he would be a free transfer. The former Bayern Munich striker Podolski is in his second spell at FC Koln and has impressed, scoring 30 goals in 77 appearances. For Germany he has won 95 caps and scored 43 goals. Other targets for Arsenal in the summer include Blackburn Rovers midfielder Steven Nzonzi and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze, targets more in line with who Wenger usually targets.