Podolski to reject January move

Lukas Podolski will not leave Cologne in the January transfer window because he does not want to jeopardise his Euro 2012 hopes.

The Germany international has been repeatedly linked with a move away from his hometown club, with Arsenal said to have made Podolski their number-one transfer target.

However, Podolski’s representative Kon Schramm has told The Guardian it is ‘all but impossible’ any interested party will manage to persuade the player to move mid-way through the season, as his sole focus is on maintaining his current good run of form ahead of Euro 2012.

Podolski has been in fine form for Cologne, with his 14 goals in 16 league appearances helping the club to 10th on the Bundesliga table.

“Cologne has priority right now; we have time (for everything else) in the (European) summer,” Schramm said.

Podolski is out of contract at the end of the 2012/12 season, in what is his second spell with Cologne after leaving in 2006 to spend three years with Bayern Munich.