Paris Saint-Germain's German midfielder Julian Draxler celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Angers (SCO) at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on October 2, 2020. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
According to L’Equipe (h/t Yorkshire Evening Post), Marcelo Bielsa almost convinced Julian Draxler to join Leeds United in the summer. The PSG man was a huge target for the Whites during that time but no move materialised.
It seems hard to believe that Julian Draxler is still only 26, simply because he has been around at the highest level for almost a decade. The attacking midfielder rose through the youth ranks of Schalke and made his Bundesliga debut way back during the 2010-11 campaign. Draxler established himself as one of the most promising young playmakers in Germany during his time at Schalke, accumulating an impressive tally of 30 goals and 29 assists in 170 appearances across all competitions.
The right-footed creative wizard had a brief stint at Wolfsburg before moving across the continent to join French giants PSG back in January 2017. Draxler has struggled to nail down a regular starting role at the French capital due to competition for places. But he has still managed an impressive return of 22 goals and 33 assists in 149 appearances.
A full international for Germany since 2012, Draxler was a part of the squad that lifted the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and captained his nation to a triumphant campaign at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, bagging the Golden Ball award in the process.
Leeds are starting to face the heat in the Premier League as their early season optimsm slowly fades out. It’s not that they have played badly but just that their squad needs reinforcements to tackle the problems of the top-flight.
Their squad looks adept in most departments but there seems to be some chinks when it comes to creative midfielders. Tyler Roberts and Pablo Hernandez are their only two players in that position while Rodrigo Moreno has been shoehorned there this season.
Roberts is too young to be relied on. Hernandez is running on his last legs at 35 and Rodrigo is a makeshift attacking midfielder. It is clear that an established playmaker is needed at Elland Road and Julian Draxler could be their man.
An exceptional No.10, Draxler has played for the biggest clubs in Europe. With an eye for a killer pass and a mean shot in his pocket, he has the ideal qualities Leeds need at the moment. They should try to sign him in January or summer.