Schalke’s general manager, Horst Heldt, has revealed that Julian Draxler does not have a price on his head confirming that the much-talked about €45 million buyout clause lapsed last year.
However, eager to quash suggestions that Arsenal have begun negotiations for the German midfielder, Heldt also made clear that the Gunners did not send a delegation to the Veltins Arena yesterday and are yet to even make a bid.
“I checked my office if someone was waiting for me, but nobody was there,” he joked today.
“Of course, there are always other clubs interested in him, and should someone make a serious offer for him, then we as a club have to professionally consider that. That does not only apply to Julian Draxler, but to every other player.”
“That [buyout] agreement was only in place for last year, from now on the transfer fee is up for negotiation,” he continued.
“We are happy to have such a world class player in our lines. I am very convinced that Draxler will be playing for us in the second half of the season and most probably beyond that.
“We are not interested in letting Julian leave, and he has also not approached us about a transfer.”
On the surface, with just over 24 hours remaining of the transfer window, it looks as though Arsenal’s chances of getting their man are slim.
It would certainly tally with what Wenger said this morning: “In any hour anything can happen or change but at the moment, unfortunately, we are not signing anybody.”
“No, unfortunately, we are not close” from Arsene then surely meant that the Arsenal delegation was still on the stairs when Horst checked it.
Drax On…
Drax Off.
11pm, 31 Jan’14
Drax On! 😉
It’s not oktoberfest yet, but the lure of German beer could make the Arsenal deligation do a detour temporary.
I’m just hoping the frey and kalou deals go through.
Bring back David Dein!
A man steps off a plane and walks into an airport. As he enters the building he hears an announcement on the intercom in a language he doesn’t quite understand, ” Bienvenue en France “. While he ponders what the message might mean, he searches for his map and looks for the town he marked with a red circle earlier that day, his final destination. A sense of overwhelming frustration and anger begins to build up as he realizes he left his map on the plane and no longer remembers where he is supposed to go. ” Not again ”… Read more »
nice one mate. these transfer windows are quite fun, set all sorts of wild imaginations on the loose!
What will Dick do? He’ll do exactly what Arsène told him to do, watch THAT Championnat National game (Red Star – FC Paris, on tomorrow), talk to the coach, the manager and buy this U18 “versatile” winger. No? 😉
He’s already negotiated the sale of Ju-Young park while in france so I wouldn’t be surprised haha 😉
Since he’s the Dick, he can go F**K himself for now.
Still struggling to get too worked up about this one. Good player no doubt, potentially great, but is he really what Arsenal need at the moment?
I’m not sure either since he plays on the same position as Özil(, Zelalem?) and potentially Cazorla – if you put him on the left wing (which I wouldn’t recommend).
It doesn’t seem very reasonable to pay about 40M for an (even though very talented) backup when there are other positions with barely one player.
Sorry, forgot to mention that I was talking about a possible winter transfer. Cazorla is “already” 29 and the sooner we buy a replacement the better. It also wouldn’t matter to have them both in the team for some time, it’s just no necessity to buy a midfielder right now and at all costs.
Weird that Santi is that old eh? What was he doing for the 10 years before he came to us? I’d barely heard of him. Perhaps just one of those later developers, in the Koscielny and Giroud mould. Sitll runs around like a 21 year old mind.
He won a Worl cup and 2 European Championships before he came to Arsenal
To be a pedant, he was injured for the World Cup, so hasn’t won that yet.
Fuck this shit.
Give me a fucking jersey!
yeah. I’d play for free. no worries. easiest contract negotiations ever.
Yeah a fat middle aged man is exactly what is needed to win the title
F*ck!!!!!
*Sobs.
So close, yet so far. Just hope we can get the FA cup, lose the xyears without a trophy thing and progress from there.
have you noticed that we’ve led the league for a significant portion of this season *without* any of the transfer targets linked to us this January?
it would appear that you’ve missed this tiny scrap of evidence that suggests we’re more than capable of winning the league title, amongst other trophy possibilities.
perhaps you should try opening your eyes just once in a while and using them to peruse the league table. good luck with that!
While you are partly right and I don’t want to be too pesimistic, the first half of the season was probably easier than the second because of pool + 2x bayern in the cups, let alone if Arsenal progresses.
Second, the best player in that first part of the season you mention will miss a significant portion of the most difficult matches.
Third, city are probably playing better now than in the first part of the season, so what was enough then won’t neccessarily be enough in the end.
is that the citeh that have to play barca twice and chelsea twice, and then come to the grove? is it???
or is it just us that have “difficult” games?
blimey
fact is the evidence of the first half of the season is proof we can win the title and to suggest not transferring players in demonstrates we cannot win the league is nothing more than perverted wishful thinking by those who just can’t help catasrophising. just my humble opinion, mind, but at least it’s based on evidence rather than counter-factual “if only we’d signed playerX” nonsense
I guess you were talking about Arsenal’s position, not citeh’s. But to react to your point, while they have even more difficult schedule, I don’t think they are currently anywhere near Arsenal’s level of problems with injuries/squad depth.
You can look at the table as long as you wish, but that won’t make the pressure any smaller, e.g. who will be DM and box-to-box mid on the bench in the next few matches?
I agree.
It isn’t a failing of any team that fails to pip City to the top of the table. If Chelsea were a plastic team who bought success then City are Mammon incarnate.
Nonetheless I find it hard to see how any team are going to successfully compete with them for the title.
Either way i’m proud of the Arsenal performance this season. Really great work from such a dynamic and entertaining team.
Trophies of non, i’ll always love watching us play, especially under Wenger.
Arty
Fans can enjoy the football being played.
However, top players won’t come or stay here to just accept that City/Chelsea/MU will win the league because they have more money. That has nothing to do with the players. It’s the Club that has to make the team/squad competitive for titles.
If we don’t find a way to win, then we will not be able to keep/attract top players and in the long run the consequence of that is the we’ll have more disappointments than joys.
You are a sarcastic c@nt aren’t you sunshine? Without adequate additions to the squad we will falter – that is the fact!
no, it’s speculation on your part and i’m suggesting given the evidence (Arsenal leading the league for longer than anyone else this season) it’s pretty specious to say that “we will falter”. we might, we might not, a signing may help, it might not, it’s all conjecture. the fact is we’ve done well with the squad we have, if you’re interested in facts.
so, sorry you don’t know what a fact is, perhaps you ought to give Rafa a bell, he’s got a big long list of them
Sam:
Have you noticed that our star player in the first half of the season (Ramsey) is now crocked?
And have you noticed that another potential match-winner, Walcott, is out until August?
Or that the overplayed Giroud looks knackered?
Or the perennially injured Wilshere hasn’t looked very good recently.
Or that we have a mass of fixtures coming up, tons if we are successful in the PL and FA Cup?
That’s why we need some signings!
Wilshere has looked outstanding recently.
i’m not saying that signings won’t help, I’m saying that to say that if we don’t sign anyone then we *cannot* win anything is catastrophising walcott was out for a decent chunk of the season in any case, ramsay was never going to continue scoring at the same rate as early season – irrespective of his fitness – and wilshere has been excellent of late. also look to cazorla’s run into goals at the moment. having players of that quality means that him and others can fill in the goals that rambo knocked in early doors – ozil, cazorla, wilshere,… Read more »
Problem is though that Chelsea have strenghtened their team with 2 solid signings this january, and closing on a Third as i write this. While City got such depth in their Squad that they could Field two different first XI capable of challenging for the title, which means they can play with fresh legs every single week till the end of season. From now on in, legs are starting to tire, and especially Giroud will work overtime as our only decent striker. Chelsea may not have a goalgetter up top either, but they do have 3 strikers to share the… Read more »
I’m struggling with the maths you propose on Chelsea strengthening…
You add one Salah and which ever other young midfielder they probably snapped up (I really don’t have time to keep up with all their purchases – here today, gone tomorrow buys) and then you minus the best player they have had in the past 3 years. And that’s where I get lost.
That’s that then.
We might get a few bricks from Drax power station, and nothing more.
Ad always much speculation and no action.
*and no drax-tic action
…..Jst hopin Arsene’z got sumfin up hiz cunny sleeves……
Like a dictionary.
Or a spell checker
or a brain
For some reason I just want to listen to The Smiths and The Cure.
“Picture of You” where you refers to young footballing boy could be mildly disturbing
Friday i’m in love…
yes please
Calling for a bidding war?
lol Dick Law on my whatsapp. Last seen 31/8/2013
Dicks negotiation skills will get his man. Dick- we want Draxler Schalke man- no we need him Dick- ah please Schalke man- I said we need him Dick- ah go on Schalke man- Please leave Dick- go on go on go on Schalke man- get me security………….
ergh bloody transfer window. If city hadn’t suddenly decided to start being a corporate monster like 3 years ago there’d be about 30 more quality players around the world ready to be signed up.. the sugar daddies really have made the window a far more traumatic experience.. why, for example, have chelsea stockpiled half of the attacking midfielders in world football into their squad? they still play shit anti football parking the bloody bus wherever they go city are on fire at the moment but it’s appalling to think they’ve spent 22m, 37m, 27m & 20m on their 4 strikers..… Read more »
Can anyone really explain how and why he’s worth 45mil? He’s a great talent and all but really, Ozil made sense cause he was definitely world class. We’re apparently minted now but realistically this doesn’t sound like an Arsenal kind of move.
So much doom and gloom.
We’re competing and not just fighting for 4th place at this stage, so it’s an improvement. Lets just look forward to some big games ahead and enjoy.
if only you play for us, mutant.
Pull another Ozil, Arsene!
I read somewhere he is injured till march. So whats the point in signing him?
I think the way you’ve worded this is what’s caused the thumbs down. I no doubt see the point in signing Draxler; he’s a genuine talent and he’ll be a boost both mentally and on the pitch. But I can’t lie, I think he’ll paper cracks on what we really need, a forward and a centre back. Draxler in, and if we can afford it, a forward and centre back too.
Central back? No need. A fortune teller’s told Arsene that Mert-Koss are manchines and will play through to the end of the season. Verminator is there just to make sure botls and nuts are tightly fastened.
He is Not injured he returned to training this week and should be fit for next week
There is still time. We left it quite late for Monreal last winter, and he was no stopgap by any stretch. A proper Arsenal player. I’m just glad we’re not hearing persistent quotes about the squad being big enough to cope with injuries and win the league. Not even hearing the ‘if something exceptional turns up we will look into it’. They are properly going for real transfer targets and that should be encouragement enough given our history.
Relax guys! Historically, Wenger has always kept his cards close to his chest. Matter of 30 odd hours more and we will be unveiling someone that’s for sure.
COYG!
I’ll bet you a tenner we don’t sign anyone this transfer window.
Make it 50.
Make it so.
You are on!
glad there’s only 29 more hours of this to suffer
Well well well..i better stay far from reading gossip,news and other predictions about getting new players.i am sure AW and IG know the situation we are in and how eager we are to strengthen and try our improved chance of getting a trophy.we will see what they can try until the window is closed.
The problem is i will soon put all my emotions and hope at stake and keep on reading what ever is there on the news.i think the same is true for many arsenal fans.
Gunner forever!
Can’t see this one happening. Heard we are looking at a loan deal for Tello from Barca and possibly Berbatov from Fulham. The guy from Juve is staying there so he’s out of the frame now. Let’s wait and see. Roll on sky sports news after work tomorrow night. Can’t wait lol
This reeks of brinkmanship.
Dirty brinkmanship.
I am fairly confident that Dick Law is standing outside Schalke right now wearing only a bikini whilst rubbing himself with bunches of Euro notes.
They can’t resist forever.
24h left?????????? we need Jack Bauer to sign him!
Do remember as well that as much as its easy to castigate Dick law, he did bring it home with Ozil. Let’s not be too simplistic.
Gazidis did that
Are you sure it wasn’t Daniel Levy?
If it was Jack Bauer, he’d point a gun at Draxler’s head and say ‘sign, you son of a bitch’. I wouldn’t want to play for a club that started as it meant to go on with such methods. In my opinion Jack Bauer and Arsenal can never have a relationship.
Hope Wenger does the Ozil again. I am hoping…
There is no reason to splurge in January. Wenger as I have mentioned before projects 6 months to a year ahead with market trends. he has likely two eyes on who will come available in the summer. As an example, we had a similar argument for him to spend last january. Had he done so he would have had less money for the summer and would have been far less likely to spend 42.3m on Ozil. There are a number of top end strikers who may be unsettled this summer in Falcao, Benzema, Manzukic to name a few. We still… Read more »
He shouldnt be saying that 24 hours before Draxula comes to his home 😉
Relax guys, we’ve still got Park Chu-Young.
Not if you believe France Football we don’t. He’s on his way to Nantes apparently.
Oh Park! You were so misunderstood.
No smoke without fire (unless you’re talking about Kalou or Gourcuff). I think we need a Chicharito type-just someone I be on the end of crosses. No need to spend hugely in my view!
Hopes raised….and dashed..
Normal service resumed and linked with Kalou.
Sad 🙁
Kalou.
Ciprian Marica.
No end to smoke when it comes to Arsenal. Journalists… what are they smoking?:D
Unless Draxler comes in at 24m or below, he is not worth it. Less I am led to believe otherwise, this is a player of immense potential but whose potential is as it is yet to be fulfilled. He isn’t top of the goal scoring charts in the Bundesliga by a far shot and will not be easily/quickly converted into a false nine for us in time for Feb/March. He is cup tied and carrying an injury so will have little impact on our crucial CL games. Anything above 25m (+ a bit more cash) could land us a decent… Read more »
@ Santori – mate I don’t think, sadly, that being cup tied is going to make much difference against Bayern 🙁
It would if we had one striker who can add something different.
The sort of positivity you display would never see us win the second leg last time round nor make top 4 despite a poor start nor be still in the hunt for a title this time round following a Villa defeat.
We are not that far off competitive with most teams.
Don’t worry you guys will soon be at the same level with us
@Santori: no mention of Pato in your comment? And there I was starting to be convinced that you were a member of his entourage 🙂
Slightly off topic I apologise.. Blogs, have you looked into making comments/commenting accessible on the iPad app? Real bugger having to use a browser! Thanks!
Not possible, I’m afraid. Sorry.
Still, using a browser to browse the internet isn’t too much to ask, I hope 😉
I remember having problems accessing Arseblog News on my iPad not so long ago. It was the only website that made Safari and Chrome crash automatically. Maybe that’s what’s bothering our Brighton-based friend…
I have same problem on my iPad. Whenever I go to arseblog news on the website it crashes. I just figured it was because the iPad I’m using is very old (1st gen with iOS 5). I don’t get the issue on my iPhone 4S running iOS 6.
This simply sucks blogs you have to fix this. is it so hard to do so? or do you just not like being told what to do? on my samsung tab 10.1 frustrates the shit out of me not being able to reply, especially when the yes men are doing what they do best.
As I said, it’s not possible due to limitations of the mobile theme and integration with WordPress. The site is fully optimised for mobile browsers, which have that functionality. As for being told what to do – I would respectfully suggest your shut your hole. If you really want to complain about a free app on a free website which gives you tons of free content every fucking day of the week, maybe you need to check yourself. We try and make the site as good as we can for everybody, but the idea that I, or anyone else, should… Read more »
After all the ‘reports’ I love to hear the official statement saying ‘there was no contact’. In Wenger language, that could mean that Draxler is already in the car, traveling to London through german countryside with a paper bag over his head.
F#%k this will he or won’t he business. I’ll play for us for free. I was a very prolific striker when I was 8. I’m sure I can bank in 15 goals before the end of the season and I’m obviously not cup tied. Sign me up boss
Draxler hasn’t come anywhere near your prolific scoring abilities. Not sure what the hype is about. A potentially great player but as is, it remains potential.
Here’s the other thing with Draxler, he is to me akin to Jovetic who is in many ways a more proven entity. City took him for under 25m. Why would we be spending over that amount on Draxler no matter how much potential he has? Personally think he should be valued at 20m or less and that the hype around him (not to mention myriad of possible suitors) is the only thing keeping the price artificially high. We don’t know the financial circumstances Schalke face but unless they have some sort of massive debt they need to clear, they can… Read more »
>>I don’t have habit of having a discussion on message boards; but although you have some good points here, I felt obliged to answer some of them. “Here’s the other thing with Draxler, he is to me akin to Jovetic who is in many ways a more proven entity.” >>Jovetic never played a single Champions League game before joining Man City at the age of 24. He’s a Montenegro national, and that means he will most likely be short of World Cup and Euro experience in the future. With all due respect for the Italian league, it is still some… Read more »
In other news….Alex Song is sh!te
There’s gonna be a lot of disappointed Goons on Saturday morning, I fear!
Goddamnit!
I think a lot of gooners (myself included) just like the look of him. He’s 6’2, has a nice tidy haircut, young and German. I mean that’s already worth at least 30 million even before we get to the football part.
Hopefully he doesn’t get snatched up by chelsk/manu/city/other rabble
Rather spend the money on signing up sagna. Now that’s a proper hair cut.
Maybe we can add El Sharrawy or Hamsik whilst we’re at it.
I understand Fulham were in for mitrolgou (spelling) but why ain’t we? He seems a pretty handy player in front of goal!!
He’s not that good, not to be disparaging but it is the Greek league. And he is cup tied. Plus again as I have mentioned, if we sign just anyone on in the striker role, it may impinge on us loading up in the summer where some bigger names may come available (and very likely so) Remember we are still carrying Bendtner and Park’s wages. I mentioned this last january with regards additions that likely Wenger would not add because of opportunity cost. wenger is likely to extrapolate 6 months to ayear down line with regard market trend and who… Read more »
If Greek league were the prevailing benchmark, we’d have recalled Joel Campbell before making a purchase
Espn stats.. Mitrogoal: 13 games 9 goals Joel Campbell:10 games 1 goal. Im perfectly happy letting Campbell stay where he is. 🙂 Remember the fuzz around Mitro when he played in U-19 in bundesliga and scored 14 goals in 10 games. Everyone predicted a big future for him. But he ended up stuck in the greek league poor sod. Probably never developed as much as he could have, but im still certain he have more to offer than many strikers in the Premier League. Frazier Campbell, Berbatov, Chamakh, Bendtner, Torres, Etoo, Holt, Jones, wingie to name a few that leaps… Read more »
Draxler is going to be the absolute dogs bollocks unless his legs fall off.
You won’t be saying he’s not worth the ££ once he hype bomb drops and he’s out of our reach. Come the summer he may well be. Wenger clearly rates him and wants him so get it done, it’s the best time with little or no opposition. Wenger can mould him like RvP or he replaces Santi in the long term.
Disagree. Too many suitors and frankly, considering the hype, he isn’t that prolific at the moment. Jovetic scored more and was proven over a longer period and he cost City under 25m. why should we spend more on Draxler?
there are other options who will cost 10m less who can fill in our requirement in midfield which is not urgent (unless jack is seriously out)
frankly a lot surrounding Draxler at the moment is bollocks. That said, yes, if he came in under 20m, welcome to Arsenal chum.
@santori: Have you ever watched Draxler play? I mean, really watched him? Like 8-10 whole Bundesliga games plus a few of Schalke’s Champions League games?
…yeah I have. He has enormous potential but he isn’t exactly a goal machine we need up top nor is he the defensive cover we need if god forbid Arteta gets a knock.
…nor has he shown the consistency that Jovetic has over several top flight seasons so you prefer to spend 25m + risk on a young player? he is over inflated.
You could use that money for a decent enough midfielder and have money left over to back up at Cback.
Think the money would be better spent on someone like Pogba who can play as a central midfield player and has pace. Doubt he’s available though
Yeah but would you want Pogba? I don’t doubt his abilities but he seems the ‘unsettled’ type much like Anelka and Balotelli. sound more trouble than its worth.
That said, we are missing that sort of ability in midfield (sans Diaby) and yes, we could spread the money around better for what the media intend us to spend on a Draxler alone.
All this transfer language used by clubs always sounds like a hostage negotiation to me.
Somebody hold me. Tell me it’s all gonna be better in the morning.
If the transfer window closes tomorrow night and we haven’t signed anyone, you know what we are all going to have playing on repeat in our heads all weekend??
The bloody sad music that played at the end of the incredible hulk 🙁
Arty and Sam, I’m on your team! We could still easily win the league this year.
We were without Theo and Poldi for most of this season, and the fact we’re without Theo and Ramsey now doesn’t make us any less likely to be able to win it.
We’ve got an awesome squad.
First time in a long time we have a chance of winning the title our fellow contenders are all in transition before they again get back to their competitive best. Arsene better not fuck this up, SPEND!
Flamini.
David Ornstein @bbcsport_david
Arsenal not signing Draxler. Was interest but AW unwilling to meet #Schalke asking price. Only #afc deal may be a loan arrival #bbcfootball
Hope this doesn’t prove to be costly by may
Why would it be costly.
Only thing costly is shelling out mad money on a young player who is over inflated in a department where we do have some cover.
We need a striker first and foremost and close to that a CBack/DM.
If it’s a loan and it gives us the experience and capability necessary, why not?
Just because you shell out pots of money for what the media think should be a good buy for us to show ambition doesn’t necessarily mean you have strengthened. ask Spurs. Ask Flamini.
All other teams in PL have signed a player or two but us!! Why do you have to wait so long wenger to sign someone? It may be a fun game for you but not fun for us supporters who have to watch our team finish 4th for 8 years because you like to play games. Sign a player and Win the PL or feck off back to france!
Your not well…..
Pissing contest.
So we should spend 100m like spurs?
A loan if it is a good one will help us particularly in the department(s) we are a bit more scarce in.
We spent nothing on Flamini. none of the media made any noise about him yet he is instrumental in our title charge this season.
Don’t doubt Falmini’s ability but I feel his form has dipped a bit. One reason for this is that for a player well into the 2nd half of his playing career he has played a remarkably low number of games. As the matches are now coming thick and frantic, he’s finding things naturally a little more difficult.
Looks like the BIG signing between now and the end of the season will be Wenger signing a contract extension.
Not sure how that improves the team on the pitch tough. Or the subs bench. Or Yaya Sonogo’s fitness. Or…
Just saying…
Looks like you are jumping the gun a bit.
There is still a bit of time left. Wenger if you remember likes to put it together in the last hours. the ground work has been laid, he just needs to pull the trigger on his choices.
I feel he will have one addition at very least. As Ornstein mentions, most likely a loan since the summer will offer up better choices.
The news we need now is that Arsenal have sign players not this news
Of course you know whos fault all of this is. Its chelsea and man city. Forcing prices up and hoarding players.
If schalke think they can ask for whatever price they want and theyll get it im glad wenger did say no. Football isnt really about football anymore its just money.
I dont think it’ll happen but if arsenal do win the league i think it’ll be the Arsenals biggest achievement. Bigger than the Invincibles.