The French press has indicated that AFC is looking closely at Julian Draxler. The 27 years old PSG attacking midfielder has been playing second fiddle to Neymar, Mbappe, Di Maria and Sarabia in the last 2 years. Excelling in his first season, he slowly moved down the pecking order – injuries not helping his cause.
With PSG reportedly making a move for Eriksen, Draxler’s playing time is going to continue plumetting. Clearly a talented player that can easily play as a left or central attacking midfielder, his performances in Paris have been up and down. He will not cost much money (10 mln EUR max) and his salary is evaluated at 7 Million EUR/Year.
I believe he could be extremely good in a “Bergkamp-type” role and and as a 10. He is not a diva-type of player. He comes in with a wealth of international and European experience. A London move could tempt him although his native Germany is also calling for him, especially Leverkusen. There is a question mark on his ability to keep fit though…
So would Draxler come in and replace Ozil in our squad and help us achieve results but also help ESR and Willok grow? Is he worth the 10 Mln transfer fee and 7 Mln EUR/year salary?
Was denken sie uber Draxler? Ja oder Nein?
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/96449/History/Julian-Draxler
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Bukayo Saka named in the top 20 most “expensive” players at number 15 and valued at 115 Mln EUR. Rashford leading the ranking in front of Haaland, Trent-Arnold, Mbappe and Fernandes.
So I’m wondering how many Germans have adapted well to English football, I’m probably overlooking someone, but it feels like a very limited number of players especially in those attacking roles the ones I can think of that have excelled have been defenders or midfielders, industrious unflappable. Is that to do with a subtle difference in the way German football is played?
Apart from Ozil and Klinsmann I can’t think of many others, but as I say I’m probably overlooking someone obvious.
Also is 27 a bit too old?
I get that that is the age players are in their prime, but does it help us rebuild? It’s the age when players look to make the most money or start winning trophies. If it’s a final piece of the jigsaw type signing I’d back it, but where we are currently I feel we are a season or two off that predicament at least.
I think one thing that maybe helps the club is the pandemic, there is no singing of “spend some f’ing money” which I think has knee jerked the club into spending unnecessarily in the past.
No arrivals can come without departures, and there needs to be some substantial planning.
He is injury prone, and he hasn’t had a lot of play time so he must be rusty now
GiE – you are right about German players actually. Maybe Havertz will prove us wrong…What do you make of Lehmann and Metersacker though – I thought Lehmann did fine with us and BFG was not bad?
GiE – a good article on German players here: https://www.premierleague.com/news/1667368
Ballack, Hamman, Sane and Ildogan also names to be remembered.
Sandy – As a PSG fan, I confirm that Draxler is indeed injury prone…but when in form, he can really be remarkable. His ability to find space between the lines and to pass is good and also, he is not bad at findinh himself in a good shooting position. It is a tough one.
But at GiE mentioned, is he worth the move given our development stage? Would he then basically inhibit Willock’s growth?
GiE – 27 is not too old in my view…
@Sue – PSG actively pursuing Eriksen as Draxler is pushed out…Danny Rose also on Pochetinno’s radar as Bernat still recovering from injury. Milik also on Leonardo’s list.
Possible PSG line-up once transfer window shuts and key players are fit:
A: Navas – Florenzi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Rose – Gueye, Verratti – Eriksen – Mbappe, Neymar – Icardi
B: Rico – Pembele, Keher, Diallo – Dagba, Danilo, Hererra, Bernat – Di Maria, Sarabia/Raphinha – Kean
Meaning the door is open for:
– Kurzawa (despite recent extension), Paredes, Draxler, Sarabia and eventually Di Maria
– Loans for Bakker, Simmons, Fadiga, Ruyz.
Thanks RC
Draxler was one of those that I was excited about being linked with in the Wenger era but now?
I get his quality when fit but there is a reason PSG are willing to part with him at that price. It is a tempting price but at the same time the £125kpw wages is of putting for an injury plagued 27 year old that PSG are happy to part ways with at a low transfer value.
Those wages have knock on effects to players like Saka and ESR. What are we saying to them and what their worth is if an unproven (in the EPL) and injury prone player can command that? Will it trigger demands for huge increases from many others?
There are very few guarantees in any player. We dont know whether ESR can stay injury free and continue this form. We dont know whether Nelson or Willock might suddenly show they have a lot more to offer with more game time.
We dont know whether Aouar or the chap from Salzburg can cut it in this league, and we dont know whether out of favour players like Isco or Draxler still have anything to offer, particularly in a new league. They almost have a double question mark.
If there are no guarantees with any of those players I would far rather gamble with the risk of our young players. We dont have to waste money on them and they are adapted already to the English pace and physicality here.
Not excited to be honest!
Thanks RC. We’ve risked buying injury prone players before …. I really can’t see why we would take the chance. We need to alleviate the wage bill and then reinvest in players on the next level if (and only if) there is an obvious gap in our squad that no emerging talent could fill.
RC78
I didn’t list defenders but BFG, Hamann, Hitzelsperger are players I can think of in that midfield role and defensively. I’m embarassed to say I forgot about Mad Jens. But again I guess my point is those are the positions where most Germans have done well, it may just be that the attacking midfielders don’t fit well as I say.
But you have given me a few to consider. 🙂
Like others I would rather we continue developing from in now.
Ps 27 isn’t too old as you rightly say but as it needs to be taken into account how many years they can give you and what they are doing for us, are they completing a championship winning squad then sign away, but if they are going to be part of a rebuild for me it’s too old. We are still rebuilding.
Hmmm… on balance it would be a no for me.
Too risky with his injury history, plus he’s edging out of the ‘peak of his career’ years and I liked GoonerB’s point about his wages and our young players.
So that means he’s probably on the plane to London already 😀
And thanks for another really good Post RC.
New twist – Ozil is said to have accepted Fenerbace’s offer…
As for me, I am not so keen to get Draxler either to be honest. He is a quality player but his injury record is not great and I am not sure he will be able to meet Arteta’s “energetic play demands”
Rocky – I owe you a few posts 😛
Nein, nein, nein!
Blimey LBG – you’re calling the cops? You must really be down on Draxler… 😀
@LBG 🙂 (27)
Not for me. I heard Salomon Kalou is on our radar too!
BTW Rashford as most expensive player is a chuckle. He’s another Sterling…fast but needs 10 chances to find the net. But his PR team has done a great job with the school dinners campaign
Of the ones you mentioned Haaland is a wrecking ball of a player. Mbappe another quality player.
Don’t forget the left foot of Podolski. I love the guy, shame his time at Arsenal was short
Podolski – great call Brinso!
I always felt he never got enough game time, and even so he became a bit of a legend.
RC,
Vielleicht ja — oder — vielleicht nein. 😁
RA – LBG 🙂
@Pete – I think Haaland will actually be better than Mbappe. I love Mbpape but Haaland is just better overall.
Hi, GIE,
How about Jürgen Klinsmann?
Altho — as he played for the Hot Spuds, that should count against him, he was really rather good in a rubbish team – in my opinion.
Bernd Leno as a future German great in the EPL?
Wishful thinking, I guess — he is just another “OK ish” goal keeper in my opinion.
GIE,
Another one for you to ponder on.
A young German winger, a bit like Draxler, who did not get enough time in the EPL when at Arsenal, but is lighting up the place now that he is with Bayern Munich, and would do well in the EPL now.
Am I keeping you all up, when you are trying to get some shut-eye? 🤪
Gnabry is better suited to the EPL than Draxler I think.
Saliba is playing for Nice tonight — take a look at 6 p.m. on BT 2 if you haven’t seen him play.
Saliba is the next Varane whereas Fofana is going to be a Van Dijk type of defenders. France has a good pipeline at CB:
– Varane, Kimpembe, Laporte, Lenglet, Umtiti
– Upamecano, Mukiele, Kounde, Fofana, Saliba
– Kouassi, Pembele..
Knowing that Hernandez can play LCB…
Zouma too by the way
Can someone help me out here?
Are the players such as Isco and Draxler being put forward to play next to Partey? I am at a loss to understand positionally where they will fit in?
Buy a back up keeper who is taller than 6ft or 182.88cm’s tall.
Hard pass on Draxler….
LB – I think the idea is to play Isco/Draxler or such players in front of a double-pivot in a 4231 set-up.
Saliba clearly rusty today
love the double-pivot
another great post Rocky but as for Draxler, you lost me at “injuries”
I am enjoying the resurgence in Arteta but not sure how long it will be sustained. Personally I think we have a squad that is well underperforming and occaisionly shows its potential (like the last 3 games), however if we had a better coach we would be competing at the top end. But that said, I hope to be proven otherwise and we finish the season with another couple of trophies. Actually if we win another trophy (FA cup or Europa) I will completely reverse my opinion.
Recent weeks have seen some great posts and comments on here.
Hope you are all safe and well
A nein from me.
For a week now everyone has been raving about ESR and how he is the future, and then we bring in any injury-prone Madrid reject, whose salary will mean that he must have priority, so ESR sits on the bench.
But knowing the powers that be in the club spending money and paying high wages is de rigour for them, so perhaps they can find someone even more expensive to do/not do the job.
Better off to keep Ozil for 6 months and get him to educate ESR about the no 10 role. At least we know he can do.
Alternatively, why do we not simply sign all of the Madrid rejects and bench-warmers and change our name to Not So Real Madrid?
Thanks VP – it is an excellent Post but it’s from RC, not me.
Overall for me it’s quite simple. We have only just adopted the right formation for the first time 3 games ago, and if equal importance, are playing the right players in the right positions in that formation.
We have won all those 3 so it is the right formation to develop with even though I dont expect us to win every game or look top notch in every game.
Many players have played badly this year but I think with a lot of them that having the right set up around them and playing them in their best role is of the utmost importance or they look ineffective.
Willian is an example who should only play a number 10 in this new formation. The right side worked at Chelsea until recently but it doesn’t work with our players and also he is a couple of years older. He should now play the crafty free central role and not be expected to try and skin a full back.
Saka is an exception because he has such a varied skill set that he can play effectively in many positions but we hadn’t even seen the best he had to offer. He will show us that on the attacking right or number 10 role so play him there
Wipe the slate clean eith all the players and get them all on board then see where we need to change and strengthen at seasons end. We night get some pleasant surprises out of Nelson or Willock as well.
With the right system and players in the best positions we have enough to make a strong climb up the table and win the EL. That would be an excellent season and players doing well at smaller clubs in other leagues or players at big clubs but struggling are way too much of a gamble with our transfer kitty when we have what we have already.
@Sue – difficult start to life at PSG for Pochetinno with a very disappointing draw. Navas was MOTM and Kehrer, Gueye and Di Maria were at best really awful…
No to Draxler. We were interested in him since Adam was a boy and he’s opted to go elsewhere, so at this stage of his career he needn’t think hes coming to fill the role of Ozil. No thanks.
Saliba had a stinker tonight by all accounts, but surely he can be excused in his first outing since whenever.
Interesting article on the BBC Sport website about the Premier League’s 1st Asian player?
Anybody know or wanna guess?
I’ll give you a clue…………..
…..he was a Gunner!!
GoonerB – I agree that the system seems to work for us at the moment but this is also because Luiz is not playing…If he plays, then a back 3 is required…I think the 42121 system will be further improved once Partey gets back in the team. It is clear that we are more balanced offensively with Saka on the right. Before our game was very much active on the left with Tierney-Saka. I think questions remain around:
– Is Bellerin our main RB?
– What is our best CB pairing? Holding-Gabriel, Holding-Mari, Gabriel-Mari…
– What is our best double-pivot? Partey-Xhaka, Partey-El Neny, Partey-Ceballos…
– Who is our best “central attacking midfielder”? ESR, Ceba, Willock, Willian…
– Who should play left forward? Auba or Martinelli?
– Is Laca our main CF now?
Hi RC.. A point is better than nothing. Kean is thriving over there.. reckon you’ll make it a permanent deal? I saw earlier that you’ve opened talks with Ramos.. 👍
Glad City won.. another semi-final defeat for the Mancs – boohoo 😄 Can’t believe the spuds made it 😱 Come on City, make it 4 in a row!!
@Sue – We have opened talks to make Kean a permanent deal. I think Ramos will stay at Real and Messi at Barcelona. Between the two, I would opt for Ramos.
I hope City beats Spurs – just because would be nice to see Mou lose a LC final and partly because Spurs are Spurs…:-P
excellent post RC
Sell ESR and buy Draxler
I watched the Nice game for a very short time to see Saliba play, and then realised that another young ex-Arsenal player, known by us as The Jeff (AKA – Jeff Reine-Adélaïde, was also playing for them).
Forget about Draxler — I thought The Jeff was a terrific prospect – and then, like Dozi, he was no longer wanted and then was gone.
Never knew why he was not wanted — our management have made some weird decisions over the years, and the decision to get rid of him was one of them. [more money issues?]
Ridiculous.
1979,
Was the first asian (Indian) player for Arsenal —also a previous American president — called Jimmy Carter?
Morning Redders
How did The Jeff look last night?
RA – You’re correct. Good call. Yoyr prize is in the post.
Here’s the link to the story;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55536025
RA – you’re correct. Prize in the post.
Here’s the story:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55536025
Surely the first Asian Arsenal player was Rai Khannedy in the 1971 Double winning side?
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