Hey fellow Arsenal fans! My name is Sam and I'm new here. This is my first article on "The Short Fuse" and I hope you enjoy reading it! :)

I'm going to be talking about the pros and cons of the rumoured completed signing of Lukas Podolski from Köln.

Pros:

1. Podolski brings a whole load of experience with him. He's found the net 43 times in 96 games for the German National team, with Germany Podolski has finished third place in two World Cups (2006 and 2010).

2. Podolski could represent change in the way Arsenal go around business. Podolski is going to be 27 (or extremely close) when he signs for Arsenal in the 2012 Summer Transfer Window. It's well known Wenger prefers signing young players at cut prices, which has gifted Arsenal quality players such as Van Persie, Fabregas and many more, however It seems that Arsenal have rarely spent more than £10,000,000 on a player that isn't under 23. Not only are Arsenal signing a player that is quite old (in footballing terms anyway) but they're also spending £10,900,000 and paying him a reported £100,000 a week! Could Arsenal be ready to compete against big spenders Manchester United or Manchester City? I doubt it, but this could symbolize Arsenal are ready to battle it out with teams such as Tottenham or Chelsea.

3. Podolski is German. I don't mean to sound xenophobic but he's German! Arsenal already have strong connections to Germany thanks to the fresh signings of Mertesacker and Eisfeld; with Podolski joining them--could this mean Goetze would be intrigued by the prospect of joining Arsenal? Let's hope so!

4. It's f?!*ing Podolski! Arsenal are signing a player with a worldwide reputation! Podolski was once linked with moves to teams like Real Madrid and Inter Milan! Podolski won the FIFA World cup young player in 2006--he follows in the footsteps of the great Marc Overmars! Also, Podolski won the German League Title with Bayern Munich, this would make him one of the few players at Arsenal that have won a title.

Cons:

1. Podolski is inconsistent! His record at Koln this season is great (20Games 16Goals) and even last season he was good (32Games 13Goals) but before that it was abysmal! In his debut season at Koln the creative striker only managed to find the net twice in 27 games. Also, Podolski's record at Bayern Munich is far from convincing. The striker played in 71 games and scored a measly 15 times! Wenger is reportedly giving the German a 4 year contract too! If his inconsistency returns then Arsenal could be lumbered with an expensive waste for years! There's nothing Arsenal fan's abhor more than an inconsistent player. Just look at the reception Eboue and Arshavin received. Here's hoping that his inconsistency is in the past.

2. He's left footed. Arsenal's star striker Van Persie is also left footed. Would Arsenal have to abandon the 4-4-2 formation to incorporate both players? I personally can't think of any successful teams that have two left footed strikers in a 4-4-2 formation but who knows!? Luckily Wenger likes to play 4-3-3 and 4-5-1 so it could work.

3. Standing at 5,11" Podolski isn't the tallest player on the pitch. It seems in recent years, since the departure of Adebayor, that Arsenal have been lacking a tall striker that could be a fear in the air. Wenger brought in Chamakh to do the "Tall Target Man" job but it appears he's failed to live up to expectations. Podolski is similar height to Van Persie and against 6ft+ defenders they're not going to be the most intimidating pair, in the air anyway.

Conclusion:

To conclude Arsenal have signed a very good striker in Podolski, however due to his height and history of inconsistency there could be issues. Despite this I personally believe (or hope) he'll turn out to be a marvelous capture for a club that's hopefully on it's way back up!

Thank you for reading my first article! I appreciate it. Leave comments! :)