METRO is this morning reporting that Bundesliga side Schalke are begging to realize that they could very well lose 20-year-old Julian Draxler to Arsenal during this month’s transfer window.
The Germans have so far been playing hard ball over Draxler’s £37 million buy-out clause but are now starting to ease their position on letting him leave.
Even if the two sides can come together and agree a fee Schalke will still need to find a replacement for Draxler with Tottenham’s Lewis Holtby thought to be one of their preferred choices.
Arsenal is said to be sending a delegation over to Germany this week to meet with the Gelsenkirchen based club, with John Cross in the Daily Mirror reporting that Arsenal has put in an offer of 30€ for the talented Draxler knowing that his £37 million buyout clause does not become active until the summer.
Even Schalke’s sporting director Horst Heldt is talking about a possible move for the 20-year-old saying before the clubs match against Hamburg at the weekend: ‘I can’t exclude anything, I don’t know what other clubs are planning. I only know what happens in our club – and nothing happens at the moment, so we don’t bother with this.
‘We are very calm with this thing.’
Arsenal would like to have a deal done for Draxler by deadline day Friday knowing that if they fail to land Draxler this window they will face competition from a host of clubs in the summer that could see bidding go beyond the £37 million buyout clause which will then be in effect.
Schalke ease stance over Arsenal target Draxler
