Cologne confident on Podolski

Cologne managing director Claus Horstmann is confident that the club will be able to hold onto in-demand forward Lukas Podolski.

The Germany international will be out of contract at the end of next season and has been heavily linked with a move abroad in recent months, with Serie A outfit Lazio and Premier League side Arsenal both said to be keen on his services, perhaps as early as January.

However, Horstmann still believes that there is every chance that Podolski could decide to sign a new deal with his hometown club.

“The fundamentals are clear: Podolski has a year-and-a-half left on his contract and we want to go into the talks at an early stage – with the aim of extending this contract,” he told Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger.

“For Podolski, I’m optimistic that we have the chance (to re-sign him).”

Horstmann also denied recent speculation that Podolski’s relationship with director of sport Volker Finke had completely broken down.

“The two don’t have to love each other but they must respect each other and trust each other,” he said.

“And I have the impression that this is the case.”

Podolski, who has been capped 95 times by his country, has scored 29 goals in 74 games in what is his second spell with Cologne after leaving in 2006 to spend three years with Bayern Munich.