Julian Draxler is a German professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Al Ahli SC and the German national team. He started his career at 17 in January 2011 by making his debut at the Bundesliga club Schalke 04.
The German International has been one of the most hyped players of his generation, as he rose to fame quite quickly in his career. He was part of the German squad that won the 2014 World Cup. He also managed to reach the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016. Moreover, he captained the German side that won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017. The competition in which he was awarded the Golden Ball trophy as the best player of the competition.
Julian Draxler has been awarded the Golden Ball, given to the #ConfedCup‘s best player pic.twitter.com/NhZqGBi9WO
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 2, 2017
Draxler made the big move from VFL Wolfsburg to PSG in 2017 for $38 million. He netted 26 goals and gave 41 assists for PSG during his tenure. PSG made it clear that Draxler was not in their plans for the future when they loaned him to Benfica last season.
The big news that has come up now is that Draxler is joining Al Ahli SC, a Qatari club. He will be joining them for a fee of around $21 million, including add-ons. Draxler has signed with Al Ahli SC until 2025, and he completed his medical tests in Doha on Sunday, September 17.
Julian Draxler completes medical tests today as new Al Ahli SC player in Doha — documents sealed with PSG 🇶🇦🇩🇪
Contract valid until June 2025. pic.twitter.com/jjuvEW3upz
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 17, 2023
There is a lot of significance in this move for Draxler. He will be getting the all-important playing time that he has been struggling to get at PSG.
Julian Draxler’s Salary at PSG
Draxler was a very important player in the beginning stages of his joining them. He was the perfect attacking midfielder that PSG was on the lookout for in the market. He could use both feet, had great speed, and the most incredible quality of his was his shot power. The ability to score from outside the box was what impressed the fans the most.
As soon as he joined Paris Saint-Germain, he was handed a massive gross salary of $8.2 million annually. It was one of the biggest contracts offered to a midfielder at that time. Then, in 2021, PSG renewed Draxler’s contract and extended it until 2024 with a salary reduction.
Julian Draxler’s decision to join Al Ahli SC follows in the footsteps of his compatriots Marco Verrati and Abdou Diallo. Both of whom recently made transfers to Al Arabi from PSG. It is no surprise to see Draxler join a Qatar club, as some big names like Xavi Hernandez, James Rodriguez, and Mario Mandzukic have previously gone to play in Qatar.
Al Ahli SC has been notably active in the transfer market this season. The addition of Draxler certainly adds firepower to their arsenal and they will be looking to compete in the Qatar Stars league with more vigor now.
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