Recently, German star Julian Draxler admitted in an interview that he often wonders how his career would have developed if he had chosen to join either Arsenal or Liverpool when he had the chance.
Draxler rose to prominence as a talented young prospect at Schalke 04, widely regarded by fans and critics around the world as a future superstar. In 2012, at the age of just 17, he made his debut for the German senior national team and lifted the World Cup trophy with the team two years later.
Throughout his Bundesliga career, Draxler was constantly linked with a move to the Premier League. However, Paris Saint-Germain signed the attacker from Wolfsburg in 2017, putting an end to such possibilities. Although Draxler won 13 trophies with Paris, he never managed to lift the Champions League trophy—he played his last official game for the French giants in March 2022, two years before the team claimed the European title.
At Paris, Draxler was also forced to play a peripheral role, behind players such as Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Ángel Di María and Lionel Messi. Despite achieving a certain degree of success at both club and international level, discussions about whether the attacker has truly fulfilled his early potential often arise.
Now 32 years old and playing for Qatar’s Al Ahly SC, Draxler insisted in a recent interview that he is "at peace with" his decisions over the years. But when asked if there were moments in his career he wished he could go back and change, Draxler replied: “There are several.”
“When I was young at Schalke and had just renewed my contract, I could have gone to Arsenal. To be honest, I’m interested to see what kind of player I would have become if I had learned under Arsène Wenger so early.”
Talking about Liverpool’s past interest, Draxler added: “I also think about what would have happened if I had gone to Liverpool to join Jürgen Klopp instead of moving from Wolfsburg to Paris—I had the chance back then. Still, I’m happy and at peace with my decision.”
