Paris Saint-Germain winger, Julian Draxler is the ideal replacement for Alexis Sanchez if the Chilean does leave in the January transfer window. The French giants are demanding £40m for Draxler who has fallen out of favour after the arrival of Neymar in the summer.
Draxler is a versatile midfielder who can appear both centrally as well as from the wings. He made his name in Europe by impressing in the Bundesliga with FC Schalke 04.
A product of the club’s academy, Draxler made his debut at a young age of just 17 against Hamburger SV on 15 January 2011. He netted 30 goals and 29 assists in 170 appearances before moving to Vfl Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015.
By then the 24-year-old had already declared his presence in the Bundesliga as one of the most lethal attacking players. PSG wasted no time in acquiring his services for a price of £40m just 18 months later. His first significant impact came for the club in the Champions League 4-0 win against Barcelona.
But the arrival of the Brazilian superstar has reduced his chances for the side under Unai Emery with the German growing more and more frustrated. He is still is part of the national team after captaining the side to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 title.
However, Joachim Löw might drop him if the current situation continues and ends up spending majority of the season on the bench.
Hungry and eager to put his talents to good use a transfer is imminent especially with the FIFA World Cup 2018 right around the corner. Arsenal had expressed interest in Draxler in the past too but could not rival PSG with a better offer. In the current climate, however, they should allocate all their resources and pursue the Gladbeck-born midfielder.
Alexis Sanchez has clearly lost all his love for the Gunners with a number of lacklustre performances in recent weeks. His energy, flair and quality to create chances, as well as score from anywhere, is what set him apart from the herd. However, judging by his body language and lack of enthusiasm, Wenger might have to settle for a nominal fee and send him on his way.
Out of all the replacements considered, Draxler is the best option to take the Chilean’s spot. The 24-year-old does not possess the shiftiness of Sanchez or his electric pace but he is no slow coach either. His intelligence with the ball to link up key passes mimics the game of Kevin De Bruyne to a certain extent and is the ideal guy to take over the creative responsibilities in the midfield.
