Mertesacker: ‘It's a great place for Podolski to develop'

Per Mertesacker believes life at Arsenal will suit Lukas Podolski because he will be able to focus solely on developing his own game. Arsenal announced their deal to bring Podolski to Emirates Stadium just over a week ago, with the German international set to link up with his new side after Euro 2012. Mertesacker knows the striker well from their time together in the national set-up and admits he had no hesitation in providing a good reference for the Club after his own debut season in the Premier League. “I am happy that he is joining us here and I think he is very happy too,” Mertesacker told Arsenal Player. “I spoke to him several times and gave good references to this club. He will enjoy his time here. “Some things are different in Germany to this club, especially here at the training ground. You have no press, no supporters around here and you can concentrate on training. “It is very calm here and that is a good thing, especially for him because he is very famous in Germany and has played very well in the last big tournaments for them. He is very popular and that can sometimes be dangerous because everybody is putting pressure on him. “But here you can concentrate on yourself and on your team. This is a great place for him to develop his performances as a footballer and a person, like I have in the last year.”