Arsenal favourites to sign Julian Draxler but Manchester United need him more

Julian Draxler

Julian Draxler is one of the most sought after young footballers in the world and has also been linked with big money moves to the Premier League. But according to the reports, Arsenal lead the race to sign 20-year-old Schalke playmaker.

Former Swindon Town, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United forward Jan Aage Fjortoft, now working as a journalist in Germany and Norway took social networking site Twitter to declare Arsenal as the ‘big favourites’ to sign the German international saying he speaks with the Gunners boss Arsene Wenger ‘often’.

Interestingly, Fjortoft was also the first journalist to break the news that Mesut Ozil was on his way from Real Madrid to the Emirates, so he looks like to be a reliable source when it comes to things about Arsenal. Draxler snubbed interested from the Premier League last summer to sign a new contract with Schalke, but Fjortoff pointed out that the player has a 45 million buyout clause that is valid every summer until 2018. Now it remains to be seen whether the journalist is right again by calling early that Draxler is bound for north London in the summer.

Per the report, the 20-year-old is considered a major target for many Premier League sides including Chelsea and Manchester United, and Arsenal’s link to the prodigious attacking midfielder is understandable, as Wenger has been steadily adding German players to his squad over the last 12 months or so. Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Eisfeld and Ozil are all on the books of the north London club already.

However, with just Nicklas Bendtner as backup the Gunners are in real need of a striker to take some load and responsibilities off Olivier Giroud’s shoulder. There is no doubt, considering Draxler’s abilities and potential he would be an excellent addition to any squad, but given the availability of Thomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gnabry, Podolski and Ozil, another attacking midfielder is not necessarily what Arsenal need. The same goes with Chelsea as they already have the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Juan Mata, Kevin De Bruyne, Andre Schurrle and Marko van Ginkel at their disposal. Manchester United, on the other, need a player of Draxler’s class more than Chelsea or the Gunners do.

The reigning Premier League champions have been over-reliant on Wayne Rooney this season to provide them the craft and creativity which their midfield lacks to break teams down, while their wingers have been well out of form over the last season or so. With the pursuit of a creative midfielder failing in the summer, it has been up to England’s number 10 to link up United’s midfield and attack. The likes of Nani, Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young have been very inconsistent and have failed to impress of late, while Shinji Kagawa hasn’t played a lot at all.

Draxler’s addition would be a real bonus for the defending champions, as he is seen as one Germany’s outstanding generation of attacking talents alongside Mario Gotze, Marco Reus and Ozil, and would also bring in the energy and technical quality to Old Trafford which has been missing for some years now. His versatility to play anywhere behind the striker and ability to cut inside off his wing, and play those killer balls would be the key. He could link up with Rooney or create more chances in a way United’s current wingers have failed to do. He could well be the player around whom David Moyes builds his own United team.

Whether he signs for Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United it would be a mouthwatering prospect to see him play his trade in the Premier League, but until the dotted line is signed, though, much can change very quickly in the world of football.