Julian Draxler has been talking about his future and has confirmed that he is in talks with a couple of clubs about a move away from the Bundesliga. Arsenal have been linked with the creative midfielder, but Liverpool and PSG are also believed to have an interest in the German. He has been unhappy at Wolfsburg and wants to leave the club at the first opportunity after some friction with staff and supporters. The German club are believed to want a fee worth up to £33.6 million, which would be a huge amount for Arsenal to spend, especially on a position they are well stocked in.
“I am in talks with a couple of clubs, but so far no decision has been made, we will all sit down and make a sensible decision that is suitable for us.”
The supporters will expect Arsene Wenger to strengthen in January as they are still competing on multiple fronts and need to show that extra bit of ambition if they are to challenge for a major trophy. Draxler would be a statement of intent and could help the club in their contract negotiations with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. He would certainly improve the team, but the money could be better spent on other areas.
Although he is in the form of his life, the speculation linking Alexis Sanchez with a move refuses to go away and his latest comments will concern Arsenal fans. He has stated that life in London is stressful and this will have sounded alarm bells in the board room as it suggests that living in the capital may not suit the Chilean. His contract negotiations continue to progress behind the scenes, but there hasn’t been any notable progress and it is beginning to become a major distraction.
“I do explore the city if I have the time for it but normally I would rather stay relaxed at home. London can be a stressful place because it’s crowded and it’s a big city.”
These comments would be ignored normally as it isn’t an odd thought for a foreign player to have, but due to his current contract situation, they have been interpreted in another way. Sanchez is clearly unconvinced by the club and needs to be persuaded to renew his contract. However, the fact that he finds London a stressful place to live is not likely to play a part in his decision. He would likely move to another big city if he was to leave.
In more positive news, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hopes to return from his hamstring injury to play some part in the festive fixtures. He limped off against Manchester City, but the injury isn’t as bad as first feared and the winger shouldn’t miss too much action. The winger will definitely miss Boxing Day, but could be back to face Crystal Palace on New Year’s Day. This will provide Arsenal with a boost as he has been in good form this season and has been one of the club’s better wide options.
Arsene Wenger needs all the options he can have over the festive period and will be pleased with the latest news about Oxlade-Chamberlain. The winger has been inconsistent in previous seasons, but he is finally beginning to impact matches regularly and is slowly becoming an important player for the Gunners. Although he is upset about not being a first team regular, he is heading in that direction and will be a big miss for Arsenal as long as he is out. He is direct and looks to be positive on the pitch, which is why there are a number of European clubs monitoring his contract situation.
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