© EuroFootball.com
In the German championship, occupying the second place, he got involved in the fight for the German national team striker Lukas Podolski, said the German media on Tuesday.
"We met with Podolski, told him that we would really like to see him in our team, talked about the possibilities," - HSV sports director Dietmar Beiersdorfer told the German newspaper "Bild".
Twenty-year-old L.Podolski was called up to the German national team in June 2004 and since then has played 20 matches in the team led by Jurgen Klinsmann, scoring ten goals. The most productive game for the striker was the match played in September with South Africa, which Germany won 4-2, with L.Podolski scoring a hat-trick.
It is undeniable that "Hamburger SV" will have to compete with the multiple German champions Munich "Bayern" for L.Podolski. The president of the German giants Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has repeatedly stated that he would like to see the young talent in his team as early as summer.
"We are a high-level team capable of offering Podolski the conditions he deserves," - D.Beiersdorfer stated, not emphasizing the competition from stronger opponents.
Experts believe that the Polish-born striker may be inclined to choose a guaranteed place in the starting lineup of "HSV" rather than being a substitute striker and fighting for a place in the starting lineup with "Bayern" stars Roy Makaay and Claudio Pizarro.
Podolski's current club recently offered the striker a new five-year contract, under which he would earn two million euros (about seven million litas) per year. His current contract is valid until 2008.
The striker himself has previously stated that he would like to stay in Cologne, the city where he grew up, but "Koln" is currently in 16th place among eighteen teams and is fighting to stay in the Bundesliga.
