Lothar Matthaus believes Julian Draxler is capable of replacing Franck Ribery at Bayern Munich, but with the Frenchman going nowhere, what chance Arsenal?
Arsenal fans – in fact football fans everywhere – had better get used to the name Julian Draxler.
Although his much-mooted move did not happen in January, the rumour-mill cogs continue to turn, with the 20-year-old Schalke starlet thrown into a hypothetical tug-of-war with the Gunners on one end of the rope and Bayern Munich at the other.
Given all that commotion, it would be quite a surprise if the German midfielder did not move this summer. But the latest quotes from ex-player and all-round legend Lothar Matthaus suggest Arsenal could remain in the box-seat, even if that was not exactly what he meant.
We brought you the news earlier today that Matthaus had been speaking about Draxler in an interview with Welt.de, in which he said that the Schalke player had the talent to replace Franck Ribery at Bayern.
That is quite a statement, considering more than a few people believe it was the Frenchman – rather than Cristiano Ronaldo – who should have won the last Ballon d’Or.
But if that is true – if the German champions are eyeing Draxler as a potential replacement for Ribery – that changing of the guard could be some way off.
Both occupy similar positions on the pitch, and given the players currently at Pep Guardiola’s disposal there would be few chances to stake a claim elsewhere. So if Draxler arrived this summer, he is likely to be competing for a starting-berth with the player he has been tipped to one day replace.
And there is the problem. Ribery only recently signed a new contract at the Allianz Arena that runs until the summer of 2017.
At just 30, the French international still has plenty of gas in the tank and plenty of games ahead of him. So would Draxler really move to Bayern when his main rival for game-time is such a constant in his manager’s plans?
The twist could come from Ribery’s injury problems that have seen him miss a large chunk of this season. But even then Draxler would have to compete with Ribery’s regular replacement Xherdan Shaqiri.
So considering that competition for places, Arsenal may remain the most likely destination – at least in the short-term.
Perhaps one day Draxler will replace Ribery in Munich. But if Arsene Wenger can get five years out of him at the Emirates Stadium, that would be something, and in that time there is no reason why they could not convince him to stay for the long haul.
image: © DerHans04
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