14 Jan 2014 21:18:06
Evening all, a follow up to my earlier post here and before I start, I want to point out I'm not, not have I ever claimed to be "ITK" or be Bma's with arsene's dog sitters car wash attendant!
Anything I post is a combination of common sense, opinion and things found via many types of media.
And a lot of the time, it's Chinese whispers.

I tell you were going to sign Draxler for around £40m.
Then you tell a mate we've agreed a fee of £40m to sign Draxler.
Then your mate tells his mate that Draxler will sign soon because we've agreed a fee of £40m.
And so on.

Basically, a long way of saying I really am
Sorry if something I post, about a perspective transfer, doesn't work out.


Anyway, starting where I left off on the last post, Draxler leaving Schalke is really, REALLY heating up.
Rumour is that Schalke are trying to encourage a bid for the player.
They don't want to list him, but £40m would do them the world of good.
Wether they need the money, or wether they just feel they could do a lot with it, I have no clue.

Here's where it gets interesting.
If the above is true, Draxler wants to move to Arsenal.
He speaks to Mesut and Per a lot and as Per said in a recent interview, he tells players who ask about us that the club has a genuinely nice atmosphere.
That players feel loved and appreciated and that the fans are amazing, that he's happy at arsenal and has never had a reason not to. (Not word for word, sorry for any elaboration)
He's had a tour of the facilities and the emirates.
Wenger has spoke to him too (apparently) his mind is made up.

The issue here is Wenger being unsure wether he wants to sign him for that amount.
The last time Wenger missed a youngster due to cost was £32m for Hazard and that's something he is apparently determined not to do again.
He's pushed for Draxler over the last two seasons, and has had bids of around £25-30m rejected.
Mainly because Schalke didn't want to sell and Draxler didn't want to leave.

Wenger knows if Schalke turn around and say he's for sale now, for £40m, then every big club out there will come wading in and Schalke may pressure Draxler to accepting a move.

At the moment, whilst the official line is "we want to keep him" we have the edge.

The reason is simple.
If we spend £40m on him now, we lose a large chunk of money from the summer budget, when Wenger is hoping to get the likes of Costa/Martinez cheaper than he can now.
That's the negative.

The positive (and slightly negative) is that if we buy Draxler now, for £40m and he helps fire us to the league title, the prize money would boost us substantially.
But if we spend £40m and finish 3rd or 4th we've taken no more money than usual and still spent £40m

If Wenger decides Draxler is worth that gamble and wants him, he will be an Arsenal player this month.

If he doesn't, then we have to hope he stays till summer or there's a danger he'll be a City/Madrid player before long as they can spend that money without batting an eyelid.


A move for Draxler will also almost certainly spell the end of Podolski's career with us.

Arsene thinks Poldi is lazy and is capable of more than he gives out (I love Poldi personally, happily see him retire at arsenal! A real character and I do think he tries hard!) Draxler coming in will almost certainly be first choice on the left hand side, which could see Cazorla relegated to the bench and Poldi pushed out entirely.

Draxler wants to play centrally, but plays Left side at Schalke due to KPB being the AMC for them.
All positional and career path would be discussed between Arsene and Draxler in private anyway, if something does arise.



Hope this compilation of information is useful!

Peace

1.) 14 Jan 2014
I think Cazorla would play on the right, as Walcott is out. Cazorla is too good for the bench.

2.) 14 Jan 2014
Great post mate, thanks for the clarification

3.) 15 Jan 2014
Fantastic post, hope it comes true.

4.) 15 Jan 2014
I think Cazorla will end up asking to leave if we get him. You can tell he's already unhappy being out wide.

5.) 15 Jan 2014
Great post, wish it comes true, I don't see us losing Poldi in the next couple of windows, even if he appears not to be Arsens favorite player.

6.) 15 Jan 2014
Great post. I know Draxler wants to play centrally but does that include playing striker?

7.) 15 Jan 2014
I wouldn't go over 37£ for him

8.) 15 Jan 2014
Draxler looks to be a genuine world class player that will have RM and BM beating down our door in a few years. 40m for a 20 year old is not as bad as it sounds in this inflated market. German players also have good resale value.

Plus, none of the strikers that we are being linked with are of the truly world class quality that we need anyway. Jackson Martinez is far too overpriced for just 1 or 2 campaigns. At 27 if he was ever going to be world class he would have by now. Costa is similar, one break out goal scoring year at 25 worries me.

9.) 15 Jan 2014
Joshuafish, Santi played wide right for Villarreal earlier in his career and did it fairly well.
There's a real chance he could do the same for us but I feel Gnabry's recent showings are going to keep him on the right for a while yet.
The other option of course would be Draxler left, Santi central and Özil right.
Mesut played RW for Bremen early on and if you watch him play, he drifts all over the pitch, but specifically the right side.


Sessho, yeah, that is a danger.
He loves being here and has made some good friends, plus there's Monreal here from his Malaga days (how underrated is Monreal by the way?) so I don't think he'd make a decision to leave lightly.
But if he did, Athletico Madrid would be in there like a shot.
Other teams too, but IMO, Atleti would be most likely.


Said.
I hope your right!
I love Podolski, he's a good finisher, he has good strength, speed and movement.
Plus he's great for the team!
When he was injured, he went to the majority of Arsenal games just to watch and he didn't sit in a box or by the bench, he sat with the fans!
With a plastic pint of beer and an over priced pie.
He's even put videos on certain social media sites of himself sat with fans, singing (badly) along to a chant.
Podolski is a true character.
But by all accounts Wenger thinks he's lazy and could give more than he does, and with such a small squad, we can't afford lazy.

TheMessenger, I posted a reply about this on the original, and it does interest me.

A while back, Wenger was quoted as saying how much he admires Draxlers movement and positioning, adding that he has an eye for goal and a good shot to boot.
Draxler is regularly deployed on the left hand side for Schalke and does it well, but for me is certainly better when given a role centrally.
He loves to run at the defence and release a killer pass or crack off a longshot.

Here's what seems to be the deal;

Draxler wants to play behind the striker, sort of like VdV did for them down the road.
Not as a midfielder, but almost pushed up as a second striker.
Like that Dutch bloke who joined the mancs started out as.
Lots of media this morning are saying we're going to buy him and make him the "new RVP".
Well, we aren't.
As far as I can see, we're going to make him the new Henry.

Now I know that's a very big moniker to place on young shoulders, but look at the facts.

Both young players deployed on the left with a desire to play centrally.

Both around 6"2 and of athletic build.

Both have a good sense of position, good movement and a turn of pace.

Sir Alex left Utd a crumbling ageing squad, with a 18 year old player as the only great hope they have.
He bailed on a sinking ship.

Arsene is planning to leave a legacy, this team (including the potential Draxler) mimicks parts of the invincibles, albeit younger.

Szczesny is molding into a FANTASTIC keeper.

Mertesaker and Koscielny are Adams and Bould (heard it millions of times, I know, but it's true!)

Ramsey is developing into that box-to-box player that Viera was.

Özil is already mimicking the Bergkamp effect (although signed by Rioche, having that big name boosted the team originally, as Özil is now)

And Draxler, becomes our Henry.

A big, big comparison to make, but this team is developing incredibly.
Adding a defensive midfielder and another defender and we'll be set.


But make of that what you will!


Thanks for the positive responses ladies and gentlemen, I hope it's correct or near enough too!

Peace

10.) 15 Jan 2014
Still believe that Cazorla is better than Draxler.
Draxler is ofc way younger! but 40m would be a gamble.
Not sure if Draxler would be enough to secure us the title, City have a wider squad

11.) 15 Jan 2014
I heard Draxler is out until March . so a jan move is unlikely . Source daily mail

12.) 15 Jan 2014
Uhtred, not sure why they're saying that, he is Injured, but it's a minor knock and he'll be available for schalke's first game after the winter break!


Qna, neymar and he would be the only 20 year olds to fetch that fee (you could argue some in the previous market that sold for around the £30m mark would be that in current values, but hey) I think I read that anyway, don't quote me!
But yeah, he's definitely worth it, already showing ridiculous talent and to be fair, as you say, Germans are great value right now, simply because of how good they are.
The national team's strength is amazing.
And when you consider the likes of Draxler, Gnabry, Lietber, Meyer, Ter-Stegen all under 22 and all already great prospects, they show no chance of becoming weaker over the next generation.

13.) 15 Jan 2014
This isn't a rumour it's just your opinion, wenger likes Podolski and the rumours surrounding Draxler and any move to The Emirates are well documented and publicised, personally I think Draxler will sign and that Podolski will stay beyond 2014, as for funds being available, the signing of Draxler will only enhance our chances of winning any trophies this season which in turn will have a knock on effect regarding revenue and what becomes available both in terms of potential signings and of course transfer funds.

14.) 15 Jan 2014
Bigdjh89, as I said in the original post.

Anything I post regarding transfers is a mixture of things easily found in media and my own opinion, and common sense.

I never intentionally attempt to mislead anyone, but rumours are like Chinese whispers.

I tell you we're trying to sign Draxler for £30-40m

Then you tell your mate we've established a free for Draxler would be £40m

Then he tells his mate that were close to signing Draxler because we've agreed a £40m fee.

Of course that's my terribly worded version of that scenario, but hopefully you get the gist!

Hopefully clearing up my posts :)