Wenger blasts Inter over Podolski

Arsène Wenger has accused Internazionale of messing Arsenal around with a proposed January move for Lukas Podolski. The manager described the Italian side’s reported desire to take Podolski on loan as a “joke” and said the club was “not serious” about the player. “They talk,” Wenger said. “There are only talks. Podolski is a player of Arsenal football club and I want him to stay. Apart from that, what it is to be professional is that as long as you are somewhere, you give your best to justify your wages and your love for the club. I hope that he will still be an Arsenal player at the end of January. Inter? That is a joke. Inter is not serious.” Wenger said Podolski was hardly at a stage in his career where he would benefit from gaining playing time and experience on loan. “That’s not the case for Podolski but players who need practice because they’re at a very young age,” Wenger said. Inter’s representatives were in London for talks with Arsenal on Saturday and said they were ready to pay a £1.5m loan fee for the Germany international. Wenger is overloaded with attacking players and had admitted he cannot satisfy them all. He will be without Olivier Giroud, though, for the New Year’s Day trip to Southampton because the forward was suspended while Wenger reported that Danny Welbeck was a doubt because of a thigh problem that he picked up in Sunday’s 2-1 win at West Ham United. Podolski had started just two matches this season against Southampton in the Capital One Cup and at Galatasaray in the Champions League, when he scored twice. He also scored the team’s last-minute winner at Anderlecht after coming on as a substitute. “Podolski is part of a list of players that we are following,” Roberto Mancini, the Inter manager, said. “So we will see what will come of it.” Podolski, who joined Arsenal from FC Köln for £11m in July 2012, has 18 months to run on his contract.