Arsenal captain Robin van Persie is delighted with their capture of FC Cologne star Lukas Podolski. Gooners are hoping Podolski's arrival will go some way to convincing Van Persie to stay.

And he told the Official Arsenal Matchday Programme: "He's been at the highest level for eight or nine years now, scoring lots of goals and consistently proving to be a really good player. He has a really good left-foot shot and can play in a couple of positions, which is important for us as our game involves a lot of movement and interchanging."

Podolski's compatriot, Per Mertesacker, has already completed a successful integration into Premier League life. Van Persie believes that his example bodes well for Arsenal's new boy.

"As we have seen with Per, German players tend to be very professional in how they live, train and perform - it's something I like about them and another reason why this is a great signing for us," he said.