Julian Draxler, the German footballer who plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has confirmed his move to Qatar Stars League club Al-Ahli SC. Initially, Draxler was reported to be turning down the transfer, but a deal was confirmed on Monday via the club’s Instagram account. By offloading Draxler to Qatar, PSG will strengthen their Financial Fair Play position. Draxler accepted an offer from Al-Ahli and arrived in Doha over the weekend to complete his medical and sign his paperwork. He is expected to sign a two-year contract. Reports suggest that PSG will receive around €20m for Draxler, making him one of only three German footballers to generate over €100m in transfer fees throughout his career. This transfer fee would also make him the 12th most expensive departure in PSG’s history. The sale of Draxler adds to PSG’s income from selling players to the Arabian Peninsula, which now totals €178m. This has improved their Financial Fair Play position and has drawn criticism from other European clubs.
The move to Qatar marks the end of what was once a promising career for Draxler, who won the 2014 World Cup with Germany. He was recently linked with a move to the Premier League, but a deal never materialized. Last season, Draxler was on loan at Benfica, but due to injuries, he was unable to rejuvenate his career, resulting in a decline in his market value to just €6m. This is the lowest his market value has been since he emerged as a young player at Schalke.
In addition to Draxler, PSG has also sold players such as Marco Verratti, Abdou Diallo, Neymar, and Georginio Wijnaldum to clubs in the Arabian Peninsula. This has significantly bolstered their Financial Fair Play position, with total income from player sales reaching €214m. PSG’s strategy of selling players to Qatar and Saudi Arabia has attracted criticism from other European clubs.
Overall, Draxler’s transfer to Al-Ahli SC in Qatar is expected to benefit PSG financially and strengthen their Financial Fair Play position. For Draxler himself, it marks the end of a once-promising career and a move to a different footballing environment.
