Did the “Clint Dempsey to Arsenal” talk just flicker out?

Now that Lukas Podolski’s summer move to the Emirates Stadium has been confirmed, it’s fair to wonder if the German international’s arrival has Clint Dempsey crossing Arsenal off his “maybe” list?

Remember that Gunners and Dempsey have been linked already, depending on which reports out of the UK we’re all willing to swallow. (Some are better than others, with the disparity as wide as a Kansas cornfield.)

Podolski, like Dempsey, can play a variety of attacking positions. He’s been a striker at Cologne, but German manager Joachim Löw has mostly used the 26-year-old attacker wide left in a 4-2-3-1. If that kind of versatility sounds familiar, it’s because those have essentially been Dempsey’s two most frequent deployments at Craven Cottage.

Even if mutual interest remains Dempsey’s chances of collecting major minutes for Arsene Wenger have shrunk with Podolski’s signing, at least.

Just food for thought as we all continue to monitor the Dempsey situation.