Arsenal will reportedly be offered the chance to sign Julian Draxler by PSG, who are hoping to bring in Matteo Guendouzi in a potential swap deal this month.
According to a report from French publication L’Equipe, as relayed by Daily Mail, Arsenal are set to be offered an opportunity to sign German playmaker Julian Draxler by Paris Saint-Germain, in exchange for Matteo Guendouzi in the ongoing transfer window.
27-year-old Draxler has been with PSG since January 2017, having signed from Bundesliga outfit VfL Wolfsburg. However, given the number of top-quality players in and around him in the squad, he has not always been a regular in the starting lineup. The German has made 151 appearances for Les Parisiens till date, bagging 22 goals and 33 assists.
The ongoing campaign has seen Draxler feature just 11 times in all competitions, having missed a couple of months of action due to an injury. The former Schalke man has scored two goals and set up one more but has not been used by new manager Mauricio Pochettino in PSG’s last two matches.
Draxler’s contract with the French champions runs out at the end of the season, post which he was expected to leave the club. However, it seems that PSG are reluctant to lose him for nothing and are now hoping to trade the 27-year-old for Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi.
Guendouzi is currently out on loan at Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin. However, his future at the club has been cast into doubt following the sacking of Bruno Labbadia, while he was also seen arguing with teammate Matheus Cunha in a recent game.
Should his loan deal with Hertha be terminated, Guendouzi is unlikely to have a future at Arsenal, given that he has been out of favour under Mikel Arteta since the back end of last season, when he was involved in an altercation with Neal Maupay during a game against Brighton & Hove Albion.
PSG have been monitoring Guendouzi for a long while now, as per the report. The 21-year-old spent eight years in the Parisian outfit’s academy before switching to Lorient. And prior to his move to Arsenal in the summer of 2018, the Ligue 1 champions were keen on signing him up.
Having missed out on Guendouzi then, they are hoping to get their hands on the Frenchman this month by offering Draxler in a swap deal. Such an arrangement could work out well for Arsenal, who had been linked with a move for the 27-year-old earlier this month.
While their immediate need for a new creative force within the side is set to be addressed by the imminent arrival of Martin Odegaard, the Norwegian will only be on loan from Real Madrid and will return to his parent club at the end of the season.
So, bringing in someone like Draxler, who is experienced and proven himself at the highest level, in exchange for a player that does not feature in the manager’s plans, could appeal to the Gunners. It remains to be seen if there is any progress made on this front in the coming days.
