• Premier League

Podolski: I'm not a clown who will just sit out contract

Lukas Podolski has told Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger he is "not a clown" who would be happy seeing out the remainder of his contract on the bench, after once again being an unused substitute at the weekend.

Podolski watched Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United from the sidelines, as he has for the majority of the season. The forward has played little more than an hour of Premier League football this season across four substitute appearances since winning the World Cup with Germany in the summer.

During the two most recent international breaks, Podolski has voiced his frustration with his lack of game time at Arsenal, and has also been backed by Germany head coach Joachim Low and general manager Oliver Bierhoff.

Lukas Podolski has made it quite clear he is not happy with life on the Arsenal bench © Getty Images

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But at the weekend, in the first match after the latest round of international games, Podolski looked on as Wenger once again left him on the bench.

While still under contract until 2016, Podolski believes that his Arsenal days will soon be over.

"I like London, I like the club," Podolski said. "But I don't like the situation. I am not a clown who will just sit out his contract on the stands," he told kicker.

"I need to seek talks with Arsene Wenger. I want a fair chance. Just let me play. And when I have played 10 games and have not convinced [Wenger], I'll gladly join the end of the queue again."

According to Kicker, Wenger has already sent out clear signals to Podolski that he can leave the club in the winter.

The German football weekly named Juventus, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and the MLS as potential new destinations for the former Bayern Munich forward.

But in the Bundesliga, his former club Cologne and also Schalke and Wolfsburg have all but ruled out offering Podolski a return to Germany.

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