For the first time, Leonardo, the Parisian sports director, opens the door to a maintenance of Julian Draxler.
At the end of his contract on June 30, the 27-year-old German has never extended his adventure in the Parisian capital.
Free since January 1, he has not yet signed with any other club.
He arrived in January 2017 in the PSG of Unai Emery against 36 million euros paid to Wolfsburg.
Despite a good start, he will never become essential, barred from the following summer by the arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.
Under Thomas Tuchel, he will also play the utilities and the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino has not changed the situation even if the German remains on a goal against Nice (2-1) in the league and an assist in Barcelona (4- 1).
It was his first minutes of the Champions League season, having waxed the bench in the group stage once, receiving Manchester United and missing the next five meetings with tendonitis.
Under the supervision of the Argentine coach, Draxler once again becomes an offensive player, leader or left lane when he had retreated on the field with the two previous technicians.
"He is an important player whose situation we have to clarify"
“We talked a little less (with him) but we'll see, said Leonardo, invited this Thursday from France Bleu Paris.
He is an important player whose situation we must clarify.
He has had fewer opportunities in recent years but he is an important player for the club.
"It is the first time that the sporting director qualifies him as" important player ".
The club is however disappointed with the investment of the 2014 world champion, often injured for four years, known for an immoderate taste of the joys of the French capital.
Technically, he is one of the finest elements of the PSG squad, with above-average skill.
He is also a player who likes big meetings, even if he does not start them all.
This season, Draxler has started just seven times (six in the league and one in the Coupe de France), as many as the number of outings he has missed through injury in L 1. He has also entered eight times.
If the sports director expresses the idea of keeping it, it is because of the pandemic and the economic consequences.
For at least one more season (until 2022), the club must monitor its spending, be imaginative in the transfer market, retaining its main strengths (Neymar, Mbappé, Di Maria, Bernat) and recruiting smart, with free players or in the form of a loan.
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The shining example refers to Moise Kean, on loan from Everton and whom Paris is not sure of being able to buy next summer, even though the Italian striker would like to stay in France.
Everything will depend on the price claimed by the English.
Because of all these uncertainties, keeping Julian Draxler avoids one more problem, namely finding him a replacement.
One thing seems certain: Paris will want to renegotiate its salary, which has now risen to 620,000 euros gross per month.
Today, it is difficult to pay so handsomely a midfielder so stingy with his talent.
