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Podolski: New arrival at Arsenal
Per Mertesacker believes Lukas Podolski can be a big hit in the Premier League with Arsenal.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is determined to do his transfer business quickly this summer, finalising as many deals as possible ahead of the European Championships.
Terms have already been agreed with Cologne on a £10million move for German international striker Podolski, but reports in France suggesting a club-record £18million deal with Rennes for Yann M'Vila was as good as done are understood to have been premature.
Podolski, 26, will offer some much-needed back-up to Gunners captain Robin van Persie, whose own future remains the subject of much speculation.
German centre-back Mertesacker - currently recovering from a season-ending ankle injury - believes Podolski can hit the ground running in August.
"He has good physical power and that is what is needed in the Premier League," Mertesacker told Arsenal Player. "He is very quick too. It is a challenge for him, but he can cope with it.
"Lukas is very confident. When he feels he has to be there for the team and when we needed a goal he was always there.
"He was always one of the best players on the pitch and nothing could take him down. He is so confident and that is what I like. He is a fantastic striker. Everywhere he has played he has scored a lot of goals.
"He is very good on his first touch when he has the ball in front of him, that is a big quality and very good for us."
Mertesacker encouraged Podolski to join Arsenal and feels his international team-mate will fit right in.
"I spoke to him several times and gave good references to this club. He will enjoy his time here," Mertesacker added.
"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."
Mertesacker endured a testing first few months adjusting to the English game, but the 6ft 6in centre-half had started to produce some consistent displays before suffering ligament damage at Sunderland on February 11.
"Sometimes I felt like it was very hard, especially when I first came here," he said. "It was tough to settle down [and I was] very quickly into the first squad.
"There was sometimes a lack of performance, but I think you have to go through that to improve yourself. I am very comfortable here now and very proud to be with this club.
"In general you are playing the best players in the world. You always have to perform at a high level. It is at a constant level and that is what makes the Premier League so good and so sharp."
Wenger is expected to oversee arrivals and departures over the summer, with the departures possibly including Andrey Arshavin - who spent the end of the season on loan at former club Zenit St Petersburg as they won the Russian league - as well as veteran goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, midfielder Denilson and misfit strikers Nicklas Bendtner, Marouane Chamakh and Carlos Vela.
Much of Arsenal's transfer policy will depend on whether they can finally secure automatic qualification for the group stages of the Champions League.
They head to West Brom on Sunday for new England boss Roy Hodgson's final game in charge at The Hawthorns knowing victory would guarantee them third place.
Winger Theo Walcott could be back in contention following a hamstring injury.
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