Rejected Juventus to sign for Wolfsburg, concedes Julian Draxler
2014 World Cup winner Julian Draxler has revealed that he rejected a move to Juventus to sign for Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015. The German international eventually left Wolfsburg for PSG and while he has struggled to get regular game-time, the midfielder has still made a name for himself.
The 26-year-old was once considered to be Germany’s brightest talents as a youngster for Schalke 04 but nothing has panned out the way anyone expected. While Draxler does play alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi amongst others, the German midfielder has struggled to truly make an impact in France. His appearances have been sporadic for the Parisians and yet when called upon, Draxler has delivered.
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.
"The 2016 European Championship was just around the corner. So, I had to move to a club that had a good team and played in the Champions League. It was also important to me that it was a club that was in (Germany coach) Jogi Low’s field of vision. That was the case with Wolfsburg. Kevin De Bruyne had just moved to Manchester City for a huge sum, so Wolfsburg had the financial means to pay the transfer fee to Schalke. That’s how I deliberately opted for Wolfsburg.”
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.
That saw him linked with a move to England with both Arsenal and Tottenham interested but the 26-year-old revealed that he has no problem with the role at PSG and believes that he’s talented enough to make an impact wherever manager Thomas Tuchel needs him to. Draxler also added that to earn a permanent first-team spot at PSG is tough especially given the competition present for each spot and that competition is what he needs to improve.
“I was quite satisfied with my playing time in the season before and thus rejected a move to Tottenham. I have a coach that makes me feel like he wants to have me in this team and appreciates my qualities. I feel at home in the club and in the city. Besides, I have a contract until 2021. At some point, I have to look where the journey is going. It may well be that I extend at PSG.
“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.