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In the near-week since the transfer window closed, much (more) has been made of the failed courtship of Schalke 04 and Julian Draxler by Arsenal, and predictably, the bogey of Bayern Munich has appeared. They tend to buy up pretty much all young German talent that comes available, and Draxler is available, so the link is pretty much inevitable. But while people seem to be assuming that makes it a done deal, it may not be so simple.
"Ich kann zu 100% ausschließen, dass Julian zum @FCBayern will." Tönnies über Draxler #s04 spobis14
— Tobias Holtkamp (@Rune4) February 4, 2014
last RT: "I can rule out, 100 per cent, that Julian Draxler wants to go to Bayern" Schalke boss Clemens Tönnies
— Raphael Honigstein (@honigstein) February 4, 2014
So Draxler doesn't want to go to Bayern. That's encouraging - if he did, that would pretty much eliminate Arsenal from contention, if player and team want each other and the team has the means to do the deal. But before you get too excited, keep in mind that (depending on the translation being correct in nuance) it doesn't say that Draxler is opposed to going to Bayern, or that he hates them, or that he refuses to go there. I simply read that to say that the player is not committed to going there, in the same way that (for example) Cesc Fabregas would only go to Barcelona. His mind isn't already made up, in other words.
And will it even matter?
Bayern will sign him anyway, even if he doesn't want to.* *joke
— Raphael Honigstein (@honigstein) February 4, 2014
Bayern Munich are going to be a major player in this deal, practically as a guarantee. But this comment does mean that Arsenal still have a chance. Once again: we'll see.
