Draxler leaves PSG for Qatar’s Al Ahli on two-year deal
FIFA World Cup-winning midfielder Julian Draxler is leaving Paris Saint-Germain (France) to join Al Ahli SC (Qatar).
Al Ahli of the Qatar Stars League announced on the club’s website on Monday (June 19), “The club has signed German star Draxler on a two-year contract until the summer of 2025. Draxler’s high level of skill and competence will be a great addition to the team.” The specific transfer fee was not disclosed, but French media outlet Le Parisien reported that it could be up to 9 million euros (approximately $12.7 billion).
“The presence of a player of Draxler’s caliber is of great significance to Al Ahli as we aim to achieve the highest possible finish in the Qatar Stars League in the 2023-24 season,” Al Ahli chairman Abdullah Al-Mullah said in a statement. “Losing our last three games does not mean the end of our season. The young players and the presence of a player like Draxler will bring the best out of us in the future.”
Speaking to the club, Draxler said: “I am delighted to join the Qatar Stars League. I didn’t hesitate to make the move to Al Ahli, a club with a great reputation in football,” he said in a statement. “I am always looking to add quality to the team and will do everything I can to perform at the level expected of me.”
Draxler broke into the professional ranks with Schalke 04 (Germany) in 2010 and was considered one of the next big things in the game, scoring 29 goals and providing 29 assists in 168 games. He was particularly versatile with both feet and could play in the center of the field as well as the second line. Draxler proved his worth when he joined VFL Wolfsburg for a whopping €43 million ahead of the 2015-16 season. It was the club’s highest transfer fee ever. Draxler also earned a spot on the German national team, winning the trophy at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
After scoring eight goals and providing 10 assists in 45 official matches for Wolfsburg, Draxler joined PSG a year later for a transfer fee of €36 million. In his first year with the club, he played primarily as a left-back before establishing himself as a starter in a variety of positions over the next two seasons, starting in 2017-18. However, he underperformed in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). He was pushed aside by other players and didn’t get much playing time. Later, he was plagued by various injuries, including knee, foot, hamstring, and ankle.토토사이트
Draxler gradually fell further and further away from the main squad, and was even loaned to Benfica (Portugal) for the 2022-23 season. His official tally was two goals in 18 games, but he was ruled out for the season prematurely in February with an ankle injury.
He returned to PSG, but was already listed for release. He didn’t feature in pre-season and had been rumored to leave throughout the summer transfer window. A question mark remained over his destination until the close of the transfer window in most of Europe, when he headed to Qatar to begin a new chapter in his career.