How Would Transfer Target Julian Draxler Fit in at Arsenal?

Arsenal’s chase for attacking reinforcements has taken an intriguing twist with the news that Julian Draxler wants to leave Wolfsburg. With the Gunners running out of time to add goals and guile to their side, this could be a particularly good turn of events for Arsene Wenger.

After all, Arsenal have been tracking Draxler for some time. The club were heavily linked with a move for the Germany international in January 2014, and Draxler himself later admitted he had turned down the opportunity to move to north London.

He told the BBC’s David Ornstein: “In January, there was the offer of Arsenal, but I decided to stay. I will do the same this summer. I want to play one year more in Schalke.”

Draxler did just that before moving to Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015. Now, after just one season at the Volkswagen Arena, he has itchy feet again. 

It had appeared he was set for a prolonged spell with his new club, but Draxler has denied those claims in an interview with German newspaper Bild (h/t Sky Sports’ Rory O’Callaghan):

The situation with me is that I made it clear to (head coach) Dieter Hecking after we were knocked out of Euro 2016 in the semi-final that I would like to leave Wolfsburg. 

The coach has known about this for three weeks. It’s very surprising that they have been talking about me to the media for weeks.

[…]

When I joined, I was assured – verbally – that I could leave the club whenever the opportunity arose. 

Both Hecking and (sporting director) Klaus Allofs said this. It was clear that Wolfsburg had good prospects, but also that they were a springboard for me.

It was always clear to everybody that I would like to join a top club in Europe, if I were to get the chance.

What’s also clear to everybody is that Draxler has the talent to grace that sort of stage. He showed as much at the Euros, when he was impressive in a Germany side that probably ought to have gone further than the semi-finals. He was particularly outstanding in their knockout-phase victory over Slovakia, conjuring a goal and a magical assist in a 3-0 win. 

The assist showed off Draxler’s ability perfectly. A flurry of stepovers and shimmies saw him glide to the byline before he produced a teasing cross that Mario Gomez simply had to prod over the …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com