Jose Mourinho wants to steal ahead of Arsenal in the race for Schalke’s Julian Draxler…
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has targeted a move for Schalke wonderkid Julian Draxler, and could offer cash plus Kevin De Bruyne to land the playmaker, reports German daily Bild.
Draxler, 20, is one of the most highly rated and highly sought after prospects in world football. His mesmeric ball control, dribbling skills, and ability to carve open a defence with intricate passes make him destined for greatness.
De Bruyne though, despite a hugely successful season on loan at Werder Bremen last term, has struggled to get any first-team minutes at Chelsea since August and appears to be viewed as dispensable by Mourinho, having started just two league games all term.
Schalke’s Horst Heldt was recently quoted by ESPN as saying: “Kevin De Bruyne is a class player who is interesting for many clubs.”
And Mourinho wants to use the Belgium international as bait to tempt Champions League outfit Schalke into parting with their star asset. Although Bild believe Draxler is valued at between £30m and £40m, De Bruyne could knock around £10-15m off the fee, and potentially increase the possibility of a move taking place.
Chelsea already have a wealth of attacking midfielders, so a move for Draxler would not seem like a necessity at this point. However, summer captures of Willian and Andre Schurrle show the Blues are not afraid of upsetting their current crop of players by adding new quality, which Draxler certainly possesses.
Draxler has already won 10 caps for Germany, and scored 25 goals for his club since making his debut in 2010.
The youngster has previously admitted he admires Arsenal and regularly speaks to international teammates Per Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil.
“I have always said English teams are very big clubs and Arsenal is of course one of them,” he said after Germany’s 1-0 win over England in November, according to The Evening Standard.
“Of course I sometimes speak to Mesut or Per about the team, about the club, and they always have good words and they tell me nice things.
“I have said every summer I have to look what is the best for me and I will do in the summer again and we will see what happens.
“You never know what happens in the summer, but Arsenal is a very, very nice team.”
More recently, Draxler has admitted he would prefer to be playing in a central role, having started all but two matches this season from the left wing.
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