While the Draxler saga continues, it seems as though every hour brings a different media outlet reporting a different verdict as to whether or not the deal will be completed, and whether or not it will be done in the current window.
At the moment it is looking unlikely but the time I have finished proof reading this, he could well have signed. If the deal were not to go through, here is a look across Europe over other players that may be available for a similar price range.
Ross Barkley
The Englishman has typified the revolution at Everton under Roberto Martinez. His manager has praised his mentality above all other traits, stating that it is something atypical of young English players.
Arsenal legend Martin Keown suggested that he may well be “one of the best players of the game we'll ever see in this country”, when he was only 17.
Tim Payton tweeted that there is a genuine debate as to whether for £35million he may be a better option than Draxler as an attacking midfielder for the future.
One of more remarkable things about Ross Barkley is that he broke his leg in three places in 2010. An injury that draws comparisons to Aaron Ramsey’s, also bares comparisons to his potential ability.
Barkely currently has less than 40 premier league appearances, which makes the level that he is playing at even more remarkable. The more he plays, the more he seems like he could well reach the same levels that Jack Wilshere could, if not higher. With the promising British talent that Arsenal already have, Ross Barkely would definitely be one worth adding to the collection.
His premier league experience would also suggest that he would fit straight into Arsenal’s team without the difficulty of learning a new language and culture. If Arsenal really want to push for title this season, he would be far more likely to give an immediate impact. This is something that Martin Keown has again spoken on, saying that signing Draxler would be a huge risk.
Matt Law of the Telegraph talks of how much of an impact the transfer of a player as high profile as Draxler could have.
Likewise, securing the signature of one of the Premier League’s brightest stars would have the same effect.
Stephen El Shaarawy
The 21 year-old Italian had a phenomenal 2012/13, scoring 19 goals from 46 games. He was instrumental in all good things that happened to Milan last season. His style of play has been compared to both Messi and Neymar by Italian legend Jose Altafini.
El Shaarawy is on the front cover of the Italian version of FIFA 14; while video game ratings obviously aren’t something to judge a player by, it does show how highly regarded he is in Italy. He clearly has youth on his side, and his abilities are only likely to develop even further.
However, there are two major drawbacks to this transfer being completed in January, or ever. First of all, the Italian international has been ruled out until around March due to a foot injury that needed surgery in December. It would not be the short term solution that Arsenal need at the moment. Secondly it looks as though he may be happy with life at the San Siro, signing new contracts in both 2012 and 2013.
However, one reason he may wish to depart the club is due to their terrible form, currently in 9th position in Serie A, with exactly half the number points of league leaders Juventus. If new manager Clarence Seedorf doesn’t continue to get results, there could well be somewhat of an exodus from Milan in the summer.
Paul Pogba
The former Manchester United player and current French international has been nothing short of a revelation for Italian giants Juventus since joining on a free transfer in 2012. Part of the reason for wanting Pogba is just because it would be funny seeing Arsenal getting the most of a player United released for free. The far bigger reason is that he is phenomenal at football
The 2013 “Golden boy” has played over 60 times for Juventus, scoring 12 times in the process, (that is more goals that Fernando Torres had in his first 60 games at Chelsea). Not bad for a 20 year old defensive midfielder. Whoscored.com has him performing as the third best player in Serie A, only behind fellow Juventus central midfielder Arturo Vidal and Parma’s left back Alessandro Lucarelli.
With Arteta and Flamini both closer to the end of their careers than the beginning, Pogba could be the holding midfielder that Arsenal have badly missed since the days of Gilberto Silva and Patrick Veiria. While seemingly happy with Juventus, a large enough offer could well be enough to secure the services of the young Frenchman.
Florian Thauvin
Listed in the Guardian’s recent article naming the most promising youngsters, along with the likes of Draxler and Pogba, the 21 year old Frenchman is currently plying his trade at Ligue 1 side Marseilles. Arsene Wenger has admitted previous interested in the midfield prospect before Arsenal’s Champions League victory over the French side earlier in the season. He (along with Arsenal’s Yaya Sanogo) was an instrumental part of Frances victorious Under-20 World Cup side.
While predominantly playing as an attacking midfielder, this season has also seen the starlet play three games as a right winger and one as a forward. Goal scoring is definitely a part of his game, getting 10 goals last season, and amassing 6 so far this campaign from 15 appearances. He has also averages 3.1 shots per game, which is the third highest in Ligue 1, only behind the PSG duo of Ibrahimovic and Cavani.
While the £30m range may be a bit steep for Thauvin, he is clearly a player with a great future, if he manages to keep the trajectory his career is currently on.
Diego Costa
The Brazilian, who is a Spanish international, is one of the names that has been thrown around since the transfer window. Coming from the pedigree of strikers that Atletico Madrid have had, such as Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero, Diego Forlan, Ramadel Falcao and Christian Vieri, the 25 year old has a record this season to equal any of his predecessors. 19 goals in 21 games is an incredible achievement in La Liga. There is a reported buy-out clause of £32million, which could leave Atletico with no choice over the matter.
While another striker is definitely needed if Arsenal are to maximise their chances of winning the league, Diego Costa may not be the best option. First of all, the buy-out clause is a large amount of money to pay for a player who has only been phenomenal for one half of one season.
He recently ended a 700 minute goal drought, spanning from before he came back from winter break, which could suggest the incredible play may well have been a bit of a blip. Secondly, it would be unlikely that he would want to leave Spain (who he will be representing at the world cup), where his side are only behind Barcelona at the top of the table by goal difference.
Anyone will do for the fans
With just over 24 hours left of the January transfer window left, nobody signed and a seemingly ever growing injury list, most fans would be happy with any one of these players, or simply anyone at all.
Singing someone for a huge price tag would hopefully bring a boost to the team in the same way signing Ozil did in August. Arsene Wenger, however, has never been one to bow to public pressure and sign someone for the sake of signing someone; he will do whatever he feels is best for the club, as he has always done.
Your choice?
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