Arsenal: Julian Draxler No Different A Second Time

Arsenal have been here before, only the price is a bit different. Julian Draxler is heavily linked again, so we will see where the rumor goes from here.

Arsenal were so heavily linked to Julian Draxler last summer, and just about every summer before that, that I nearly bought into it. The links were relentless and everything just seemed to spell out that the young German would be suiting up at Arsenal. But, as it usually goes, Arsenal didn’t get the man that was heavily linked to them. Surprise.

I must admit, last time, I was not too convinced by Draxler. I didn’t like what he would have brought to Arsenal. With Mesut Ozil already in the formation and Alexis storming around out wide, Arsenal didn’t necessarily need anther creative mind to be lined up on the other side of the pitch.

He was a winger, but he didn’t have pace. Nor did he score very often or assist very often. There was a lot of promise, sure, but Arsenal’s attack wasn’t starved of chances. They were starved of goals. It would have been a surplus. Plus, with the mass of youth talent coming up at the very position at Arsenal, it would be a potentially permanent roadblock.

The young German had put one good year under his belt and everyone was out of their minds over him. But there was more to see, and he wasn’t providing it. Yet.

We are now at round two with Julian Draxler. After playing one year at Wolfsburg and becoming a regular on the German national team, it’s clear that Draxler actually does have a lot to offer. His talent is on display seemingly every single match. You could even say that he has broken out a bit in the Euros.

So does that mean that Arsenal should be in on him yet again, like the rumors suggest? No. The biggest difference this time around, despite his improvements on the pitch, is that he costs more money. Arsenal still don’t need him, and at a price of £43m, they definitely don’t need him.

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Arsenal’s needs are so cut and dry. Buy a striker. Buy a central defender. Anything else is just another toy to play with, but it is certainly not a need. Spending that amount of money on a tertiary need is a bit ridiculous. And, until Arsene Wenger can solve his other problems, he can’t be dropping that kind of money on Draxler, who, even though he has shown a lot, is still young and fits zero of Arsenal’s needs.

The last thing Arsenal needs is to drop money on Draxler and call the window to a close. He provides no immediate solutions. While we can all salivate over how nice it might be to have Draxler, Ozil and Xhaka raining in chances, the fact is that it’s the equivalent of putting one layer of icing around a cake, then adding another layer on top of it. Is it tasty? Sure. But can you really tell the difference with that extra layer?

Next: Lacazette Must Be Holding Out

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