The transfer window is so close that you can almost smell the minted money that the clubs will soon be forking out for the new arrivals. Liverpool, who managed a negative net spend in the last transfer window, could very well add more depth and quality to their team as they have done well so far and will to close the gap on Chelsea.
The top two sides don’t have European football this season and have used that to their advantage. However, Chelsea have opened up a six-point lead at the top simply because they have better squad depth and players who can change games when compared to Liverpool. Liverpool’s first team is pretty good, but there isn’t an equal distribution of quality on the bench, like Chelsea possess.
In a bid to add more quality, the club has recently been linked with unsettled Wolfsburg attacker Julian Draxler. The German made the move from the Royal Blue of Schalke to Wolfsburg and was touted by many to replace Kevin De Bruyne, but he has failed miserably. De Bruyne’s impact was massive down the middle and he was a key part of the counter-attacking setup employed by then manager Dieter Hecking. Draxler wasn’t a finished product at the time and playing him in the central role wasn’t the smartest decision.
The Schalke academy graduate’s strongest position is undoubtedly on the left. Inverted wingers are the norm in modern day football and Draxler makes that list. The German has a pretty good burst of pace and his decision-making in the final third is what made him a household name in Germany. If he does make the move to Liverpool, he’ll have to compete with the likes of Coutinho and Firmino for a first team place. But as we have seen, Liverpool’s front three are so interchangeable that you don’t really have a fixed position.
Signing him won’t be easy. Liverpool will compete with Paris Saint-Germain for his series and he French giants can offer him a bigger pay. Liverpool fans are a smart bunch and if someone like PSG enter the fray, then chances for the others signing the player drastically goes down. Having said that, Draxler is at a stage where he needs to resurrect his career. Besides, if he does move to Liverpool in January, he’s likely to get immediate first team football as Mane will be leaving for the AFCON.
PSG are in a bit of a muddle right now as Unai Emery hasn’t been able to take the league by the scruff of its neck, like team did under Laurent Blanc or Carlo Ancelotti. On the other hand, Klopp’s ambitious project is truly under way. Under the tutelage of Klopp, players like Mario Götze, Roberto Lewandowski, Philippe Coutinho and heck, even Joe Allen, raised their game. Moving to Liverpool makes more sense, but if he wants to make more bucks, then PSG’s doors will always be open for the lad.
