Paris St. Germain want Matteo Guendouzi for Julian Draxler transfer

We’ve got another chapter in the Matteo Guendouzi saga, folks. Today, reports are that Paris St. Germain are still interested in a transfer move for the midfielder but want to include Julian Draxler in any deal. Arsenal are asking for €35M for Guendouzi, but it seems unlikely they’ll get that much at this point. Draxler is valued around €25M.

Draxler moved to PSG in January of 2017 from Wolfsburg for €42M. He has had mixed success since joining the French Champions and probably hasn’t quite lived up to the price tag. He made 31 league appearances in 2018-19, tallying 3 goals and 8 assists. He spent more than half of last season on the shelf, missing 11 matches with a foot injury and 3 more with an illness. He started the Champions League final, but there have been whispers that he is falling / has fallen out of favor with Thomas Tuchel.

He has an intriguing profile. He’s still relatively young (26), has good metrics, and would fill the attacking midfield hole currently gaping on the Arsenal roster.

If there really is no way back into the Arsenal squad for Guendouzi, Arsenal could do worse than to swap him for Draxler. I’d like to see a bit of cash included in the swap, but even without, I’d be okay with it.

Guendouzi is in a strange place transfer-wise — the bigger clubs don’t want to meet Arsenal’s price and the next tier of clubs can’t afford it. Arsenal haven’t done themselves any favors with how they’ve very publicly disciplined and exiled Guendouzi. The club has tanked his value. It might be best for Arsenal to cut their losses and make the swap, if it’s truly on the table.