Lukas Podolski transfer to Arsenal 'approved by Cologne'

Moving closer: Podolski nears Arsenal switch

The 26-year-old forward will supposedly be sold for just under £10million, with the fee set to rise depending on appearances, his performance and the number of trophies he wins.

The deal has long been mooted by several sources, with the player already said to have undergone an initial medical with the Gunners ahead of a summer move.

Podolski was initially lined-up as a January recruit by Arsene Wenger, but the player decided against making the move as he didn’t want to jeopardise his place in the German national side ahead of Euro 2012.

Wenger initially played down suggestions a deal had already been struck for the former Bayern Munich man, but last month the Frenchman did uncharacteristically admit his desire to bring Podolski to the Emirates.

‘Yes [we want Podolski],’ said Wenger.

‘We want to add some offensive strikers, because many times people say we rely too much on Van Persie, which is true, but if we can find world-class players, we will [challenge for the title].’

Podolski's side, Cologne, are currently languishing in 16th place in the Bundesliga, and it's believed the
German outfit have been reluctant to confirm the deal at the risk of upsetting an already unhappy fan base.