Julian Draxler is set to join Paris Saint-Germain in a deal said to be in the region of £40m.
Unai Emery is likely to have signed Draxler in a bid to add a new dynamic to his side going into the second-half of the season in the French top-flight.
PSG find themselves five points adrift of Nice who currently occupies the Ligue 1’s top spot. This term has certainly not been kind on the reigning champions but could Draxler be the man to turn things around for Unai Emery’s side?
What PSG Can Expect From Draxler
Draxler, 23, has eluded the Premier League’s best teams over the years, most notably Arsenal, but seeing as he’s set to ply his trade in France what PSG can expect from him?
Dribbling is one of Draxler’s key attributes – he’s an absolute nightmare to play against having proven his worth time and time again for Schalke and Wolfsburg.
Going into a team stocked with great passers and a strong midfield set-up, the 23-year-old will prove to be a valuable asset going forward for PSG.
In addition to his trickery, Draxler is also quite versatile in the attacking third – he’s capable of featuring on either flank as well as behind the striker in a number 10 role. His abilities could also see him play as a false nine should he be required to do so at any point during his time at PSG.
Draxler plays his best football on the left flank; he was deployed there frequently in Wolfsburg, in addition to playing as an attacking midfielder on some occasions.
Unai Emery, though, will have to make some changes to his lineup and tweak his tactics a little bit in a bid to accommodate Draxler seeing as PSG already have players in the positions the Germany international could potentially take up.
How Draxler Would Fit into PSG’s Lineup
Draxler would be in contention for a place on both flanks or in attacking midfield. Thus, either Di Maria or Lucas Moura will have to be relegated to the bench to give the 23-year-old a chance to prove his worth in his early days in Paris.
Di Maria has become a mainstay for PSG on the right flank this season, Lucas Moura on the other hand, has been particularly unimpressive playing on the left flank which is Draxler’s more natural role.
The obvious decision for Emery would be to drop Lucas Moura, but as we’ve seen in the past, the obvious choice isn’t always the best decision.
Alternatively, Draxler could play alongside Moura and Di Maria, but in between them in a number 10 role which would then see Emery drop either Matuidi or Thiago Motta and utilise a 4-2-3-1 formation which the gaffer is quite familiar with.
PSG predominantly play with a three-man midfield, and you might be wondering why Marco Veratti shouldn’t have to fight for a place in the team if Emery switches to a 4-2-3-1?.
The answer is quite simple, Veratti is indispensable to PSG at the moment, and he’s almost sure to feature for the Parisians depending upon his availability.
So as things stand, we could see Draxler play through the middle behind Cavani while Lucas lines up on the left, and Di Maria retains his position on the right flank – the middle of the park would then comprise of Matuidi/Motta and Veratti.
