Rejected Juventus to sign for Wolfsburg, concedes Julian Draxler

But in an interview, the 26-year-old went on to admit that he did reject a move to Juventus when he left Schalke for Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015. The German star revealed that the Serie A giants were keen on a move but an issue with the transfer fee and his contract saw the move collapse and he left for Wolfsburg, spending a little over a year and a half with the Bundesliga side.

“At that time, a transfer to Juventus was discussed. The problem was that football is also a business and I do not decide on my own. Transfers also include fees and contractual issues. It must all fit and that was unfortunately not the case with Juve. Back then, I had already told Schalke that I definitely wanted to go. I had practically said goodbye and I knew I had to leave to progress personally. It was important to me in choosing the club that certain conditions were right,” Draxler told Goal.

Draxler signed for PSG halfway through his second season with Wolfsburg, a move that did not go down well with their fans, and has since struggled to find his footing. Managerial changes have not helped the German’s cause but the biggest problem has been Neymar and Kylian Mbappe’s arrivals in France. Together, the two superstars, when fit, take up two permanent spots on the team-sheet and that has seen Draxler’s minutes dramatically reduce.

“I am aware that I do not have the role at PSG that I had at Schalke or Wolfsburg. At the same time, I know that I have the quality to play many games and help the team. Of course, I would like to take on even more responsibility and not worry about whether I play every major game of the season or not. At the same time, I have to be realistic. To be an undisputed starter at PSG, you must be one of the world’s top five, six, seven players,” he added.