Mark Finlay
31/1/14
Doom and gloom greeted Arsenal fans this morning with the news that a deal to bring Schalke’s Julian Draxler to the Emirates is off!
Despite the days of negotiations it all comes down to a Mexican standoff between the two clubs with Schalke refusing to budge on their £37 million valuation of the 20-year-old German, and Arsene Wenger’s refusal to pay more than his £30 million that he believes the player is worth.
The Germans are also insisting that the majority of the money is paid in cash another sticking point for Arsenal who would prefer to see it spread out over a period of time.
If you were a poker player it would be clear to see that Schalke is holding the winning cards and can quite easily be happy to keep Draxler till the summer when it will be not only Arsenal who comes knocking at the door for their star player but quite possibly a club like Real Madrid, Chelsea or Manchester City who would not let a mere £7 million stand in the way of a player they want.
At such a young age Draxler will pay his initial fee back times over and would probably in a few years’ time be worth much more than Schalke is asking for him now.
There is still time for Wenger to agree to Schalke’s terms and given the fact that the Frenchman only has today left to bring in players needed to help ensure that Arsenal win some silverware this season, do not be surprised if a deal is announced in the final hours of the deadline.