Crystal Palace: Update on Julian Draxler
The German midfielder could be a really exciting signing.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler has been a renowned player across Europe for some time now and Crystal Palace could be set to make a move for him, with a new update dropping news on talks between the clubs.
How old is Julian Draxler?
The German has enjoyed an excellent career for club and country, even though injuries have ultimately played a part in him not quite reaching his vast potential. That being said, he has still won 58 caps for Germany, scoring seven goals at international level, not to mention winning the 2014 World Cup.
Now 29 years of age, Draxler has been plying his trade at PSG since arriving from VfL Wolfsburg in 2017, making a total of 198 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants. Last season, he was sent out on loan to Benfica, however, and he was restricted to just ten games in the Primeira Liga.
The midfielder is out of contract at his current club next summer, meaning they could be keen to cash in on him before deadline day arrives next Friday night. If not, it means they will likely lose him on a free transfer in 2024, with an extension not expected to come his way, hence his loan move in 2023/24.
With Palace eyeing up some late business in the current transfer window, a potential move for Draxler looks to be on the cards, following an intriguing update.
Will Crystal Palace sign Julian Draxler?
Taking to Twitter, RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins claimed that Draxler is a summer target for Palace, as they eye up an audacious piece of business:
“Crystal Palace is interested in Julian Draxler. First contacts have taken place between Paris and the English club. The German, who has one year left on his contract, is enthusiastic about the idea of going to London.”
Granted, Draxler’s career has gone the way he would have hoped, in terms of the injury layoffs and not becoming a genuine world-beater, but he could still be a really exciting signing by Palace this summer.
His talent is undeniable, having registered 41 assists and scored 26 goals for PSG, not to mention being called “world-class” by Jens Keller, and he could raise the level of everyone around him at Selhurst Park.
Draxler’s contract situation means that Palace could also be able to snap him up for a cut-price amount, with PSG not in a particularly strong bargaining position, so it wouldn’t necessarily be a financial risk, even given his injury record.
The fact that the player himself is keen on a move to the Eagles certainly bodes well, as he looks for a fresh challenge away from being a fringe player at PSG, and he could add that sprinkling of magic in attacking midfield, possessing the ability to open up defences and also chip in with goals of his own.
Draxler has scored 66 goals and got 80 assists in his professional career to date – that figure would be higher if he had been available more often – and that level of end product could make Palace a greater attacker force, at a time when goals can come at a premium.
