One of the brightest young talents in Germany, Julian Draxler of Schalke, might be on his way to the Premier League, if the reports on interest coming from the direction of Chelsea are true.
According to the Kicker, the 19-year old German international, already making six appearances for the national team, making his debut before his 19th birthday, is one of the numerous players Jose Mourinho wants to bring in this summer as he turns Chelsea into (hopefully) an instant empire once again, both in the Premier League and in the Champions League.
Draxler began his career (Starting in the 2010-2011 season) as more of a left winger, but has moved to the middle of the pitch this season, playing as an attacking midfielder most of the time, scoring 13 goals and adding 7 assists for Schalke as they finished fourth in the Bundesliga, leading back to the Champions League.
According to other reports coming from Germany, Borussia Dortmund are also looking to sign the player, who is touted to replace the departing Mario Gotze if the interest is true. However, it’s unlikely that Schalke will be willing to sell the player to their biggest rivals, not to mention Draxler having a release clause that can be triggered only if the team is offered €45 million, according to the same reports.
Draxler could have been helping Germany in the European U-21 championship right now, but his importance to the national side has kept him away from the summer tournament in Israel. He made his debut for Schalke on January 2011, becoming a first team player in the next season, immediately becoming one of the hottest youth prospects in Europe, although he has to fight for a position the Germans are quite loaded in at the moment with young, talented players.