Julian Draxler's career trajectory: From hot prospect to unwanted man

When Julian Draxler completed his move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, expectations were high. Five years later, the German international is deemed a surplus requirement in the French capital. Unfortunately for him, and for PSG, there are currently no clubs except Newcastle United [who submitted an enquiry hours ago] interested in his services.

Draxler is only twenty-eight and should be nearing his prime. But his unimpressive outings and lack of appearances have seen him fall down the pecking order in Paris and look like a shadow of the 21-year-old that broke out during the FIFA World Cup 2014, which Germany ended up winning.

How good was Draxler?

He made his Bundesliga debut at 17

Draxler made his league debut at 17, making him the fourth youngest debutant in the Bundesliga at the time. Although "Schalke 04" lost the game, Julian showed glimpses of quality. He came into the limelight that season while recording 19 goal contributions (12 goals, 7 assists) in the Bundesliga.

He eventually went to Wolfsburg for €43 million in the summer of 2015. He looked very shaky at times and failed to replicate his Schalke form. A year later, the German handed in a transfer request. To his disappointment, he was unable to attract interest and endured a terrible first half of the season while being booed by fans.

In January 2017, Draxler completed a move to PSG worth €36 million. He regained his form in the second half of that season, registering 16 goal contributions at the club. Although he clashed with the head coach at the time, Unai Emery, there were high hopes for Draxler. In the summer of that year, he captained Germany’s B side to Confederations Cup success and was named player of the tournament.

Where it went wrong?

PSG signed Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the summer of 2017

In the summer of 2017, PSG broke the bank and signed Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. It was clear that both players would feature in the starting XI. Unfortunately for the German international, both Mbappe and Neymar preferred to play from the left side of the field. They were given precedence and the German became a bench warmer.

Mauricio Pochettino: A new hope

Mauricio Pochettino was employed in the winter of 2020 and changed the team's style and personnel. The change included the adoption of his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. The shape benefited the German as he was moved into an attacking mid-field role. A string of good performances earned him a new contract until 2024, albeit with lower pay. It looked like Draxler would finally establish himself at the club.

The Lionel Messi signing

PSG signed Lionel Messi on free transfer last summer

Six months after Pochettino’s arrival, the German will once again be pushed out of the first team, this time by one of the greatest, Leo Messi. This limited Draxler to only nine league appearances last season. It was clear that a front line consisting of Neymar, Messi, Mbappe and Di Maria had no place for the German.

Much of the German’s career at PSG was marred by the club’s terrible recruitment, which saw them recruit a player for a position in which Draxler was already thriving.

It seems like the quality is still there when Julian plays, and he needs a side that will make room for him to rediscover his form. However, fans may continue to wonder what may have happened if the German never moved to Paris.