Schalke 04: Julian Draxler
Young
German Julian Draxler has caused a stir on the European stage this season after
announcing himself as the new star of Schalke’s team in this season’s
Champions’ League. Despite his side falling out of contention at the last-16
stage of the competition, Draxler had already done enough to spike huge
interest in his future services from clubs all over the continent.
The
19-year-old midfielder displayed a deft touch, creativity and attacking
instinct, while also scoring in the Champions’ League group stage at home to
Montpellier. He became a fixture in the side afterwards and was one of the
German side’s top performers over the two-legged round of 16 clashes with
Galatasaray that ended in an unfortunate 3-4 aggregate loss.
It
was a slow start to the Bundesliga campaign at the Gelsenkirchen-based outfit,
costing Huub Stevens his job. However, former player Jens Keller came in during
December and lifted spirits around the place, culminating in a recent run of 5
wins in 6 matches. After sitting in mid-table running up to the winter break in
Germany, they have since risen up the table to fourth place and continue to
look a good bet for that top-four spot come the end of the season.
Draxler
has struck 8 league goals so far from his favoured attacking midfield position,
as the admiring glances from other clubs who rate him as a potential
world-class star persist. The Gladbeck-born German international is viewed by
many as the next great playmaker for the national team and his form this season
domestically and in European competition certainly adds weight to that belief.
His contract runs until the summer of 2016,
therefore a sale may not be urgent for the Schalke board. However, if he
continues to develop at the current rate of knots, it won’t be too long before
the top clubs around Europe come calling with huge bids to tempt his club to
part with a player they value extremely highly.
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