Arsenal and Arsene Wenger are reportedly preparing a staggering £55 million bid for Germany and Wolfsburg sensation, Julian Draxler. The 22-year-old is a perpetual Arsenal target with Wenger admitting on previous occasions that he was a fan of the German winger.
Having impressed with the national squad in the UEFA European Championships, Draxler is touted for a big-money move to one of Europe's elite with Arsenal reportedly leading the line. The Gunners are on the lookout for a striker losing Danny Welbeck to another long-term injury. Their attempt to prise away Jamie Vardy from Leicester failed with the Englishman signing a new deal with the Foxes.
Having chased Gonzalo Higuain for a long time, the Gunners were said to be disappointed that their pursuit of the Argentina leaked to the press this summer. Wenger is hence looking for another striker and is confident that he'll be able to turn Draxler into a centre-forward after the 22-year-old impressed on the left with the national team.
After all, the Frenchman is credited with the transformation of young talents such as Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie from wingers into world-class centre-forwards. While Draxler has all the right ingredients, his price tag is the one thing that might in between him and the opportunity to play up top for the North Londoners.
While Wenger is a fan of the German, a price-tag of £55 million could deter him from signing Draxler. The Frenchman is a shrewd businessman in the market but defended his exorbitant spending on Mesut Ozil – where he shelled out £42 million to sign the Real Madrid man – simply because he knew he was a finished product and a 'top top quality' one in that.
Arsenal are likely to pursue other striker targets as well with the likes of Inter's Mauro Icardi, Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata and Lazio's Keita Balde all linked in previous windows. Having been priced out of the Higuain race, its likely Wenger will have to loosen his purse strings to sign an accomplished striker – or one with immense potential.
