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Harry Redknapp manfully tried to battle on with his duties at QPR. Through the agony of knee injury he led his team till his body could take no more. Chris Ramsey is the now man charged with keeping the Hoops up.

Or so the media would have you believe. Old ‘Arry jumped before he was pushed. Make no mistake about it.

Redknapp has wisely built his career as a media darling; he is a man who is perfect for a journalist. He is always willing to give a quote, always to happy his wind his window down. If he was asked who he thought should win X-Factor, he would probably be able to fill his Sun column on it. Therefore, he has been given an easy ride and if Rangers are to be relegated, it will go down as Ramsey not being good enough to keep his side up.

The former manager subjected his fans to 11 straight away defeats, record breaking ineptitude. Funnily enough the ‘useless Ramsey’ managed to secure all three points on his first road trip.

Harry adopted a side who were in a mess and two years later, left them in a mess.

A job well done.

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The 52-year-old Ramsey could have scarcely picked a more difficult first assignment in the world of football management. Picking up the pieces left by the whirlwind of Redknapp.

An 18% win percentage was all he could muster in his Premier League tenure at Loftus Road, nine measly victories.

Noises coming out of the west London club are nothing but positive under the new man. Nedum Onuoha has revealed how finally, the whole squad feel like they have chance to get involved. Without the insistence of playing his old favourites and his notoriety for ignoring youth, every member of the playing staff feel like they have a chance.

“One of the differences from the previous manager to this one (Ramsey) is more people feel involved. The consequence is more competition for places and I think a few months ago a few people didn’t stand a chance.”

QPR have four points to make up and eight games to go, Ramsey is refusing to give up the ghost, his positive attitude is a refreshing antidote to the defeated one his predecessor was showing.

‘I had seven months at home watching Frasier, Jeremy Kyle and Homes Under The Hammer! Of course I would rather be here in this situation than be out of work and worrying where the next job or paycheque is going to come from.’

Ramsey is a man who is relishing the opportunity rather than believed he is owed one.

Although the new man in charge has by no means arrested the slide that QPR find themselves on, they are almost certainties for relegation. But it is a good bet that when the inevitable does occur, Redknapp’s time will be overlooked.

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Is anyone better at getting teams out of the situation QPR find themselves in?

The answer, anyone?

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It never takes much to ignite anything in the way of hysteria when it comes to Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, but even by the standards of the England’s highest-profile footballer, the headlines that his recent omission from Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have produced seem to have set the bar to new levels.

One very brutal, yet ultimately astute tactical call from Ferguson was all it took to have Fleet Street’s finest start writing the opening passage for Rooney’s United obituary and even after the Scot sought to shoot down talk of a departure for the 27-year-old, rumours suggesting otherwise continue to pepper the back pages.

Yet while the notion of a Rooney departure still seems somewhat distant at this moment in time, for as overzealous as the bloodthirsty press may have been in forecasting his exit from Old Trafford, they may not have been completely incorrect when it came to the prediction of stormier times that are still to come.

With only two years left to run on his current deal, one of the main features to come out with Sir Alex’s recent run in with the assorted media was his insistence that Rooney would indeed be offered a new contract. There’s no reason at this current moment in time to suggest that he was being insincere in those musings.

But what he naturally failed to give away, was quite how financially rewarding the terms of that new contract may be and it’s within the terms of that protracted deal that trouble might still lie ahead.

Speculating over a contract that’s yet to be written may seem incredibly naïve, but if we’re going by basic market value and general footballing logic, then it’s not beyond the realms of realism to suggest that there’s every chance Wayne Rooney might have to take a pay cut to stay at Manchester Untied.

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With his current deal worth within the region of £250,000-a-week all-in when including bonuses, Rooney is already amongst the top ten most handsomely paid footballers in European football and as he approaches his 28th birthday, his next deal is likely to be his most important.

Yet despite heading into what you’d generally perceive to be the peak years of his existence as a footballer, years that usually herald the most lucratively rewarding contract, too, Rooney finds himself in a strange paradox at Old Trafford.

When he essentially had United over a barrel after he threatened to leave the club back in 2010, he agreed terms on his blockbuster five-year deal in the knowledge that he was undeniably the most important asset that Sir Alex Ferguson has at the club. Although undoubtedly damaged by a poor World Cup showing and slow start to the season, Rooney’s stock had perhaps never been higher than when he signed on the dotted line in the October of that year.

Fast-forward to the present day and the picture certainly looks a lot different for the former-Everton man at the club. – Not quite to the doom mongering extent that many have made out, but certainly to the point in which he finds himself in a considerably weakened bargaining position when it comes to drawing up his next deal.

At the time of penning his current deal in 2010, in purely monetary terms, Rooney was widely reported as the highest-earning footballer in the world in sole respect of his basic wage.

This isn’t to say that ability wise he is even in the same ballpark as either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, who both earned more when sponsorship deals were inclusive. But let’s not forget, although hindsight is a wonderful thing, Rooney went into the World Cup in South Africa touted as a someone whose ability wasn’t on a plateau too dissimilar from the gifted duo.

Yet while Rooney is being paid a salary that suggests he’s one of the most important players in European football, as the Real Madrid game recently suggested, he’s now arguably not even the most prominent player within this United side.

Make no mistake about it; although he’s not fulfilled the sort of unworldly potential that many believe he once could have, Rooney remains a superb footballer and one of the best currently plying their trade on these shores. But where as in 2010 he was an irreplaceable talisman touted as one of the top five footballers in the world, he’s now deemed worthy enough to be sacrificed for the greater tactical good.

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Now the question must surely remain – would United really reward Wayne Rooney with better terms than what he currently earns when he’s arguably regressed in importance, rather than grown in prominence?

If the answer to that is no, which remains a very distinct possibility, then the emphasis must then turn to whether Rooney would hypothetically accept that and it’s here that we’re left with no easy answers.

It’d be dangerous to make any pre-conceived assumptions over whether the player would throw his toys out the pram, but regardless of the unique circumstances that surround his current financial terms, there can’t be many players of his age and talent facing a pay cut on their next deal.

Unless Rooney fancies a foreign sojourn to Paris Saint-Germain or even consider the unthinkable with a move across Manchester, he may well have simply reached a glass ceiling in terms of his wage potential and one that he must begrudgingly accept. Quite whether he does that with grace, however, remains to be seen.

Dele Alli did not make a single appearance during the international break with England, and the reasons why have been revealed.

The Times reports that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder’s ‘immature’ conduct in training forced him out of Gareth Southgate’s first XI for friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy.

Tottenham fans have had a love/hate relationship with Alli this season due to his inconsistent performances and frequent diving on the pitch.

According to The Times, Southgate was unhappy with the 21-year-old’s behaviour over the past 10 days, particularly his conduct while on the substitutes’ bench during England’s 1-0 win over the Netherlands.

The publication adds that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino also has concerns over Alli, who has scored 10 goals and created 13 assists in 42 appearances in all competitions.

The midfielder has had an incredible rise from League One football to the elite over the past two-and-a-half years, but at the moment it seems that he is struggling to focus.

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Tottenham fans will be hoping that he shows more consistency next season when the club move into their brand new stadium.

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It has been a somewhat indifferent season for the Gunners in their quest to restore the glory days back in North London.

They have been a side who have looked seemingly unplayable on their day, but as ‘their day’ hasn’t come around as often as it might have in previous seasons, the Emirates faithful have been in partial limbo as to what direction their beloved club is heading in.

Now with the return of both Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil, who were each out for eleven and three months respectively, Arsene Wenger now has a great deal more options to explore in setting out his perfect starting XI.

It seems a shame that Gunners fans had to wait this long to see two of the greatest stars back in action, but seeing as their return is better late than never, how will their presence impact Arsenal in the second portion of the Premier League season?

Whilst fifth place is no mean feat for a side that have had their first team ravaged by injury, it is a position that will likely be deemed not good enough among the hard-core Emirates faithful. Arsenal clearly want to be winning titles, and although this season has not been an overall disappointment, largely due to the goal scoring exploits of one Alexis Sanchez, the Gunners have been far wide of challenging the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City for that Premier League top spot.

Wenger has also had to pay witness to the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey fall victim to injury, but now with an almost full contingency of players to select from in the coming weeks, Arsenal could really start to see their form improve, as well as their results. You only need to look to last weekend’s triumph over Brighton in the FA Cup to see what an affect Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil had – they not only proved that they could score goals, but they also made the likes of Tomas Rosicky look fresh and rejuvenated in their approach to the match, even if Arsenal’s defence remained a bit shaky.

Theo Walcott, for all the doubters he has somehow amassed whilst playing for England and in the Premier League, is a player who can simply win games for his side. His pace is not matched among his counterparts, his desire to make a difference is always positive, and although some pundits have claimed he lacks a real ‘footballing brain’, Walcott’s nature in front of goal is more than deadly.

When played as a second striker, instead of a winger which he simply is not, that is when the ex-Southampton man really comes into his stride and is able to show the world what he is really about. Too often he has been left isolated on the wing, away from the danger areas that we all know he can be so effective in.

Mesut Ozil, on the other hand, has a completely different style to his game. The German World Cup winner lacks the pace and direct nature of Theo Walcott, but his composure on the ball and vision across the pitch is almost second to none. No one could accuse Ozil of not having a footballing brain, even if his relaxed style just isn’t quite the perfect fit for the English game.

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With both players back on board for Arsene Wenger, Arsenal could really play out the rest of the 2014/15 campaign in true style. Even if no illustrious silverware is picked up at the end of the season, the proposed link-up play between Walcott, Ozil, and of course Sanchez, will likely prove more than entertaining for fans of the Gunners, and the Premier League in general.

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It would be disappointing and a little inaccurate to suggest Arsenal and their supporters need to accept the poor signings the club make and be happy with it. The club aren’t struggling to part with large sums of money, despite the frustrating nature of their operations in the market. But ultimately it’s the targets that have been identified and subsequently brought to the club which raise concerns.

Notably not all, however. Arsene Wenger did a fantastic job of acquiring proven players who are either in or approaching their prime this past summer. While some may argue that the jury is still out on Olivier Giroud, there is certainly plenty of positives to take from the signings of Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski.

The German international’s contribution, though, has been questioned in recent weeks, with his game dropping off in certain matches and the obvious factor of his substitutions on almost all of his starts. But I’m not really convinced there is a problem with Podolski and what he can bring to the club, and much the same can be said about Cazorla, who has drawn similar worries from sections of the support.

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It was a tremendous piece of business by Wenger to pick up an international player of Podolski’s calibre for what should be considered a very low fee. He’s in his prime, he knows how to find the net and he ticks all the boxes for what the team need either from the left flank or centrally: a hard working, technically proficient goal scorer.

The problem with Podolski is that many are too quick to look back at his time at Bayern Munich, assuming that his “failure” makes him unfit for a club with lofty ambitions. To reiterate, he’s a German international with a phenomenal number of caps for his age, and a player who Joachim Low has trusted in the first-team for much of the past few years. With the rising generation of superstars in Germany, it would have been easy for Low to dismiss Podolski and look to youth.

But it’s his experience and character that shines through and which makes him such a valuable asset to both Arsenal and his national team. Forget for a moment that he was the captain of Koln and look to the obvious nature of his game that suggests he is a player with a winning mentality. He was once the golden boy of German football, but things don’t always work out and culminate in the fairytale ending most would expect. A tough time at Bayern, yes, but that experience didn’t strip him of his qualities as a footballer.

The numbers during his first season in English football so far would certainly suggest Arsenal have landed a fantastic buy. 10 goals and seven assists in all competitions is a very promising return for a player operating from a wide position. Moreover, he’s shown his willingness to help out Kieran Gibbs defensively, while in tandem they are clearly Arsenal’s best attacking pair from either of the flanks.

Podolski’s problem at Arsenal has nothing to do with him being a lazy player or not quite up to standard. Again, we’ve seen Cazorla fail to have an effect on all of Arsenal’s games, yet there is no doubting that he’s one of Wenger’s best purchases in all of his time as Arsenal manager. Rather than looking to the deficiencies that may or may not exist in some players, it’s the setup of the team and club as a whole which creates this impression.

Both fans and journalists have spoken about Wenger’s lack of tactical awareness or instruction for his players over the years. The manager is far more liberal with his approach, entrusting his players to go out and express themselves and in turn pick up the victory. Naturally, as we’ve seen countless times, that isn’t always the case. However, it is normal for fans or the media to point the finger at senior players like Podolski, citing his lack of contribution when it was needed.

You can look at the opposite side of that argument and analyse the German’s performances in Arsenal’s better matches this season. He’s a consistent threat on goal, he links up well with a number of players in the attacking-third (his goal against Montpellier with the assist from Giroud should be remembered) and his time in a very good Germany squad has strengthened his mentality to win.

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It may not be obvious to some, but Podolski is a very exciting signing for Arsenal. With the frugality of the club’s approach to the transfer market, picking up players like Podolski in that price-range is exactly what Wenger should be aiming for. His past isn’t questionable, and that’s a big misconception. I’ve always held that belief that not every good player can fit into every good team, and while Podolski may have felt the pressure from his move to Bayern earlier in his career, coupled with the presence of Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni, that specific theory could certainly carry some weight.

Yes, it’s often difficult to watch Arsenal and their lacklustre performances. But that’s a problem stretching beyond just certain members of the squad. Of course, it all filters down to the players, and you’ve got to wonder how much more people like Podolski could offer if they had team-mates of better quality. But regardless, I maintain that Podolski has been an excellent signing for Arsenal. A player of the right age and one who fits into the club’s comfort levels in terms of fee spent. I have every confidence we’ll see a lot more from the German international as his career in north London continues.

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It is no secret that Alexis Sanchez has been struggling since his January move to Manchester United, to the extent that he will no doubt have been glad to get away on international duty.

He did admit that he almost didn’t go away with Chile but eventually, the time spent with his international team-mates has surely proved to be a welcome distraction from the intense scrutiny on his Old Trafford performances.

Among those international colleagues is Arturo Vidal, Bayern Munich’s dynamic midfielder, who has attempted to defend his countryman for his recent performances.

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That led some Red Devils fans to moot the idea of signing Vidal, who has been a target for the club in the past, and who has a contract until 2019.

Opinion was divided; Vidal – valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt – is clearly a talented midfielder and United will be losing players in that area this summer. But on the other hand, he is now the wrong side of 30.

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We’ve taken a look at the best of the reaction…

Last weekend, Brendan Rodgers elected to bench Steven Gerrard against Stoke City on the 16th anniversary of his Liverpool debut.

The immediate assumption was that the Reds boss wished to portray the image of a manager unconcerned with such sentimentalities, but revealed after the 1-0 victory that he was actually oblivious to the unique occasion. “I felt quite bad, there are about 20 pictures of him and I’ve put him on the bench. At least he came on for 20 minutes or so at the end,” Rodgers informed reporters.

Yet, whether by coincidence or design, dropping Gerrard for his own festivities sent out an important, symbolic message that Liverpool’s Captain Fantastic must now be selected as wisely as possible.

Sacrilege to some segments of the Anfield faithful – especially after Gerrard officially ended his England career after the World Cup so that he could participate proficiently in the follow-up campaign to Liverpool’s second-place finish last season – particularly in the Champions League.

But the Liverpool icon is now 34 years of age, and although debates can be had whether it’s his form or Liverpool’s that’s taken the more significant hit this season, with the Reds currently lying in eighth place in the Premier League table, clearly time is beginning to catch up with him.

Gerrard’s the type of character who wants to play every week. Like Chelsea’s John Terry, he’s played through niggling injury after niggling injury for the majority of his career. Yet the simple paradox is that the less demanded of the England centurion now, in terms of game-time, the more his Anfield tenure can be prolonged.

Take Frank Lampard for example – a veteran midfielder whose career has mirrored Gerrard’s with almost miraculous similarity. Two seasons ago, aged 34, his game-time gradually reduced, dropping from 49 appearances across all competitions in 2011-12 to 40 in his final season at Chelsea. Had the former England man been pushed to continue making the 55+ appearances of his late twenties, its unlikely Lampard would still be playing at Premier League level today, forging a vital part of Manchester City’s title defence in a free-scoring cameo role.

Gerrard’s more than capable of doing the same, especially in the more advanced capacity, similar to Lampard’s, that worked to great effect against Leicester City in midweek, but only if his fixture schedule is managed correctly.

Rodgers hasn’t always got it right this season; I still believe the midfielder could and should have started against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, in what may have constituted the last major European occasion of his career.

But Stoke City, through their battle-hardened tenacity, especially in midfield, is the kind of team you should be protecting a 34 year-old veteran from, and Rodgers’ decision to bench Gerrard against the Potters was vindicated by the subsequent 3-1 victory at the King Power stadium.

Moving the Liverpool captain further forward undoubtedly had an influence, but Gerrard looked fresher, fitter and sharper than many of his performances this season. His passing, creativity and crossing was vital to the Reds’ win and he capped it off by finding net in open play for the first time in his last 18 Premier League goals.

It’s no coincidence that we saw a revitalised Gerrard against Leicester following his first league benching of the campaign, whereas he’d previously amassed the most minutes of any Liverpool player in the Premiership this season, barring Simon Mignolet.

Gerrard’s absence is an important experience for the rest of the Liverpool team too. He’s been at the heart of it for over a decade – the inspirational figurehead, the ultimate leader. That can create an unhealthy sense of dependency, the subliminal idea that the rest of the starting Xi can let responsibility lie with him or that they require Gerrard to put in a top performance, but retirement is now on the horizon for the 34 year-old.

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The players need time to adapt their mindsets – other likewise leaders must be allowed to emerge – just as the club overall requires a transition period to successfully cope with their captain’s eventual departure. It’s not only Gerrard who will benefit from him being rested on certain occasions.

Of course, the dilemma is that Gerrard is still Liverpool’s best midfielder, in any role, by quite a significant distance. Keeping him on the sidelines is a test of Brendan Rodgers patience, as much as it is the Anfield skipper’s.

But with Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson both emerging as integral stars for club and country, the time feels right for a gentle, almost unnoticeable passing of the reins. Likewise, having a weakened, less active Gerrard spend another four years at Anfield, compared to two of more fruitful participation, can only benefit Liverpool’s first team and the club as a whole.

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Blackpool winger Tom Ince looks set to clinch a return move to Liverpool as soon as the January transfer window opens again, serving as the perfect example for all young footballers at big clubs across the country resting on their laurels rather than going out and taking risks for the benefit of their long-term future.

Before we label the 20-year-old as some sort of trailblazer, he could just as easily be cast in a negative light for overconfidence for the way that he originally left Anfield back in 2011. After being thrown on as a late substitute in the club’s humiliating League Cup loss at home to Northampton by Roy Hodgson, when Kenny Dalglish replaced him at the helm and noticed his potential, he was offered a new four-year deal which was subsequently turned down by the player, who was seeking assurances over a regular first-team role – quite the bold move by a raw, untested then 18-year-old.

This led to a compensation agreement being agreed with Blackpool for the sum of £250,000 or risk losing him for nothing at the end of the season in a switch which saw Ince back his ability above the prestige of playing only occasionally in games of little importance for a top flight club. It’s been labelled ‘amazing’ that Liverpool ‘allowed’ Ince to leave for a nominal fee just 18 months ago, when really, the situation was entirely of the player’s making, he wanted it this way, not the club.

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The England under-21 international refuses to fade into the shadow of his famous father and former national team skipper Paul, though, refusing to be anything like a bit-part player when he does eventually return to Merseyside: “It’s always hard to step out of the shadow but you can only do that by playing football. I think by me keeping my head down, playing football and scoring goals, I’ve quietly been under the radar.

“It’s nice that people notice me for me and not just as ‘son of’. It’s been down to me to make my own reputation. At the moment it’s going well but hopefully in the years to come it will still be Tom Ince. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind for me in the last 12-18 months. There have been massive changes without me really knowing it. This whole club has brought me on leaps and bounds and allowed me to excite people.”

There’s no denying his impact since dropping down to the Championship to play with the Seasiders and after 8 goals in 41 games last season, Ince has started this campaign in exceptional form to the tune of 13 in 22 games – a fantastic return for a wide-man and much better than the heavily touted and seemingly far more pricey Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace fame.

In reality, Ince has been helped by circumstance in that the Liverpool that he left and the one that he looks set to return to are two completely different clubs. Departing in the same summer that saw the club fork out over £56m on the likes of Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Jose Enrique, it’s in stark contrast to the sensible fiscal constraints of the Brendan Rodgers era, during which he has had to ship out several players on large wages such as Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy and Maxi Rodriguez.

The culture of the club has changed dramatically too, with the 39-year-old former Swansea boss, partly due to the reigning in of the transfer budget, choosing to throw youngsters such as Raheem Sterling, Suso and Andre Wisdom straight into the starting eleven. Who knows, had Ince bided his time a little more, he may have been playing more regular football at the club this season anyway.

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Due to Liverpool agreeing a 35% sell-on clause as part of his compensation agreement, the club will effectively be in the bizarre situation of paying themselves, thus reducing the overall fee, thought to be around £6m, to a much more affordable and respectable total of £4m approximately, which considering his form is a fair price. The club have come in for criticism for targeting a player they let go under two years ago, yet when Barcelona do it, bringing back the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba for huge amounts, nobody even bats an eyelid. Strange, that.

You only have to look at the career trajectory of the club’s other main transfer target in January, Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge, to realise that Ince has more than made his mark and picked the right, somewhat unusual and rarely trodden path. The 23-year-old has been shunted out on loan, he’s moved for money and been played out of position, yet he’s never fully settled anywhere yet in his career, in search of a role at a club that will believe in him and he’s never enjoyed quite the same status in any side as Ince has enjoyed at Blackpool.

Nevertheless, we should applaud Ince for backing his abilities, his talent and his skill to go and prove himself elsewhere first before coming back to the big time. Moving to Blackpool was a switch fraught with risk and yet it looks like it’s about to pay off big time for the future England star. Youngsters at Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham take note, there is more than one route to the top.

Leeds United sent scouts to watch Alex Gallar in Huesca’s 3-2 defeat at Real Valladolid last weekend, according to Scouts in Attendance.

What’s the word?

Diario de León reported Leeds interest in Gallar back in February, and now Scouts in Attendance claims Leeds were in attendance to see Gallar in action last weekend.

Leeds have been sorely lacking quality in the second half of the season, and the lack of creative threat is perhaps their biggest problem. Gallar was signed to replace Samuel Sáiz when he moved from Huesca to Leeds last summer.

The report claims Huesca want to keep hold of their star winger, especially if they get promoted, but they could find it difficult to resist a bid from Leeds.

Would he be a good fit?

There is no doubt about Gallar’s quality, the 25 year-old winger has five goals and five assists this season and has been an integral part of Huesca’s incredible year, which sees them three points clear at the top of Spain’s Segunda Division with 12 matches to play.

Gallar, valued at just £705,000 by Transfermarkt, has certainly got goals in him, finding the net consistently in recent years. The winger scored 12 league goals in the 2013-14 season, and has scored eight, six and 17 in the seasons since then, and has now become a major creative influence for his side as well.

One cause for concern for Leeds fans should be where he has scored those goals though, as he has changed team every season since 2009. While there are no reports of bad behaviour or negative reasons for his moves, playing for nine teams in nine years isn’t exactly a great sign.

Fans should also be concerned about buying players from a relatively weak second tier in Spain. While the technical skills on show might better than those in the Championship, there are certainly no guarantees the player adjusts to life in England. Sáiz has been one of the better performers at Elland Road this season, but can lightning strike twice?

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Leeds fans, would you like to see a bargain deal done for Gallar? Let us know in the comments below…

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Arsenal’s Lukas Podolski is set to play himself in a new comedy film called ‘Macho Man’ which is coming out next year, but the current amount of playing time he’s receiving with the Gunners is no laughing matter.

The 29 year old has only made four substitute appearances for Arsenal in the league, and has only been started once in all competitions – the League Cup loss against Southampton.

Podolski has hinted in the past that he will leave the club if he isn’t given enough playing time and if the German midfielder wants more action, he’s probably going to have to do so because of how dense Arsenal’s midfield is.

So before hell freezes over and Podolski moves to Tottenham Hotspur, Here are FIVE possible destinations for him…

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CLICK ON PODOLSKI TO REVEAL THE FIVE

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1. Schalke 04

A move back to Germany might be of interest for Podolski and one of the clubs that might be interested in him is Schalke. The Miners attacking midfielders Sidney Sam and Julian Draxler are drawing a lot of interest from several European clubs, so a spot may open up in the squad if either or both of these players decide to move. Podolski would be able to fill this role as he can play as an attacking midfielder and as a forward.

2. Borussia Monchengladbach

Borussia Monchengladbach’s Max Kruse is also being watched closely by many big European sides, so a move might be imminent for him. If a move does materialise, the Germans will need to replace him with someone to help maintain their 2nd place position currently in the Bundesliga, and their aspirations of playing Champions League football next season. Podolski would be a good choice.

3. Borussia Dortmund

With the side currently sitting in 15th in the Bundesliga and several players on the verge of leaving the club, Borussia Dortmund could soon be hitting the panic button. Marcos Reus, one of their best players, is likely to leave and would need to be replaced. If they want to avoid any kind of disaster, they need to bring in new players and Podolski would be a fine addition to the squad. They still haven’t found a proper replacement for Robert Lewandowski who left for Bayern Munich last summer, and Podolski could fill that role too as he has scored 29 goals in 75 games for Arsenal.

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4. Juventus

Podolski has also been linked with a move to Serie A champions Juventus. Juventus’ Fernando Llorente has struggled to find goals so far this season, only scoring one. They may therefore be looking to find a replacement for him up front, whether that be a loan or permanent deal. Podolski could be their guy to partner up with their top goal scorer Carlos Tevez.

5. Inter Milan

The German was linked with the Italian side Inter, as they wish to go head-to-head with Juventus for his signature, but also bring in fellow Arsenal player Joel Campbell as they like his youth and versatility. The Italian side currently sit in 8th place in Serie A but they would love to be back in European contention. Podolski would likely replace Joel Obi in midfield, as they are already sorted up front with Mauro Icardi and Pablo Osvaldo.