Julian Draxler illustrated just why he is so highly sought after.
On a weekend where Arsenal’s players caused their manager to hit new levels of frustration, a player they tried to sign in January had an exasperating weekend of his own.
Julian Draxler landed up on the winning side for Schalke in their Bundesliga win over Braunschweig, but will have felt his own efforts went slightly unrewarded.
The German international created a staggering 10 goalscoring opportunities for his teammates, but none one of them were converted and he ended the game with no assists.
With an 86 per cent passing accuracy, and all six long balls finding their intended target, it was an impressive display by the teenager.
He also made nine of 15 crossing attempts count, and completed four accurate dribbles, a number not bettered by any of his teammates.
Playing as a left midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Draxler showed his ability to thrive in a system identical to that use by Arsenal. It’s hard to argue Lukas Podolski has come near to bettering him in terms of creativity this season because he hasn’t.
In fact no Arsenal player has reached double figures in terms of key passes in league games this season, Mesut Ozil coming the closest:
| Player | Match | Matchday | Total Att Assist | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesut Özil | West Ham vs Arsenal | 18 | 8 | 81 |
| Mesut Özil | Arsenal vs Stoke | 05 | 7 | 80 |
| Mesut Özil | Arsenal vs Man Utd | 26 | 7 | 90 |
| Santiago Cazorla | Fulham vs Arsenal | 02 | 6 | 90 |
| Santiago Cazorla | West Ham vs Arsenal | 18 | 6 | 90 |
| Theo Walcott | Arsenal vs Cardiff | 20 | 6 | 90 |
| Santiago Cazorla | Arsenal vs Fulham | 22 | 5 | 90 |
| Jack Wilshere | Arsenal vs Cardiff | 20 | 5 | 90 |
Podolski himself has created just three chances all season, not once more than a single key pass in one game:
| Player | Match | Matchday | Total Att Assist | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lukas Podolski | Spurs vs Arsenal | 30 | 1 | 77 |
| Lukas Podolski | Stoke vs Arsenal | 28 | 1 | 66 |
| Lukas Podolski | Liverpool vs Arsenal | 25 | 1 | 30 |
There have been doubters over Julian Draxler’s €45 million release clause representing good value, and Arsene Wenger is reportedly one of them when it comes to the Schalke star.
Yet Arsenal do have the money to pay it, and with the player reportedly keen on a move, the money would be repaid over the best part of the next decade should he be a success.
Bayern Munich reportedly have pulled out of the running this week for his signature, a major boost for Arsenal should they focus their summer transfer budget in his direction. On the evidence of the weekend’s display, he may just be worth the money after all.
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