Arsenal: Julian Draxler, like most, would be an upgrade on Mesut Ozil

Arsenal is yet again linked to Julian Draxler and, while he isn’t what he once was, he is still an upgrade on Mesut Ozil.

Arsenal has a lot on their summer to-do list, and some of the new items are rising over the long-established ones. But nothing can supplant the biggest need of all, which is finding a way to move on from Mesut Ozil and the situation that has manifested around him.

It doesn’t require much elaboration, but Ozil’s wages coupled with his lacking endproduct make him a must-get-rid-of of the highest order, and the follow-up question is what we turn to in his stead, if anything.

For that, Ozil’s countryman Julian Draxler is back. The former Schalke product has been fading away at PSG. He was once one of the most highly touted creative talents in the world, but ever since landing at PSG, he’s had trouble keeping his head above water. His numbers aren’t bad at all, but his game time leaves quite a bit wanting.

Here’s the thing about Draxler—anyone is going to be an upgrade on Mesut Ozil. And depending on the price, Draxler could be a hidden gem. Again, to cite Jonathan Tah, we passed on Draxler through the spotlight phase and now that he has settled and largely disappeared, his price should reflect that and make him much more approachable.

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Draxler started out as a winger, but he’s been keen to retain at a central attacking role. This makes him an appealing replacement to Ozil if Mikel Arteta does want to keep hold of the No. 10 role in his set-up.

Arteta has been sticking with a 4-2-3-1 formation, largely to accommodate Ozil, and while I have been a strong proponent of trying out a more sturdy 4-3-3 formation (not that it makes that much difference), Draxler makes the No. 10 position appealing again. Especially when paired with the hopeful return of Emile Smith Rowe, who, like Draxler, is a No. 10 enthusiast who has been used in wide roles.

It really all comes down to price. If we can get Draxler for a fee that doesn’t set us back too much, perhaps if selling Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan can cover it, then why not?

It’s not like we have to build the formation around him. We can just keep him as our No. 10 option if the situation moves us to needing a No. 10. It still allows Arteta flexibility without tying us down to Ozil any longer.