Arsenal have been the oldest admirer of German star Julian Draxler. The Gunners have tried to land the Wolfsburg player on many occasions, but a deal never materialised. It came the closest last summer when the midfielder himself requested a move to England. When the deal fell through Arsenal had to go for Lucas Perez.
Since his move to Wolfsburg, Draxler hasn’t had the best of times. The player has now fallen down in the pecking order and can reportedly leave the club coming January if an offer in the region of £30m comes their way. According to French news agencies, Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly linked with the player and ready to meet his price tag.
They are, however, not the sudden favourites to land him. They too have been keeping tabs on the 23-year-old, but the hefty price tag of 65 million pounds quite discouraged them to table a bid on previous occasions. However, Arsenal still have some need of reinforcement on the wings with Theo Walcott continuing his inconsistent form and Perez is still settling in. As they enter into the second half of the season, qualifying for the UCL knockout stages, the Gunners will need reliable attacking options on the wings.
With Draxler likely to move to PSG, here are 3 alternatives Arsenal should consider signing this January.
Christian Pulisic- Pulisic displays similar attributes to that of Oxlade-Chamberlain. His ability to dribble past opponents in the attacking third could make him a brilliant option. His ability has helped him bag 2 goals in Bundesliga and 1 goal in the Champions league. The USA international could really be a big boost for Wenger’s title challenge. Given the rise of young players from Arsenal squad over the years, Pulisic looks like a perfect option for the Gunners who can straight-away come in and make an impact.
Yacine Brahimi- The FC Porto winger has been an important part of FC Porto’s current campaign. It was his Champions League goal that helped Porto break Leicester’s perfect UCL run. Brahimi’s physique allows him to hold the ball better than most players and his acceleration on the ball makes him a dangerous winger. He has a knack to outmuscle his way up the flanks, which make him an ideal candidate to replace the passive Theo Walcott.
Dimitri Payet- The French playmaker has been in prolific form in the last few seasons scoring equally for his club and country. However, West Ham United are going through a difficult patch and the midfield star could well leave in the winter if Bilic fails to bring stability soon. He could be a brilliant buy for Gunners at a cheap price. A dead ball specialist, Payet has tremendous ability and will be a serious upgrade on the current wide players in Arsenal’s attack.
