Draxler returned to his career at PSG. After signing from Wolfsburg in 2016 for around 40 million euros (34 million pounds sterling/44 million dollars), he quickly impressed in his first six months, which he described as the best in his life. However, the situation changed in 2017 with the prestigious arrivals of Neymar for 222 million euros (189 million pounds sterling/244 million dollars) and Mbappé for 180 million euros (153 million pounds sterling/198 million dollars). The German admitted that these recruitments had “complicated the task”, competition for places intensifying.
Despite the difficulties, the admiration of Draxler for Parisians has never weakened. He underlined the club's ambition, calling it “a little crazy club, like me”, but also “magnificent”. He cited the dazzling recruitments of Neymar and Mbappé as examples of the unpredictability of PSG, where major events took place almost every week. To Draxler, participating in a project of such a scale proudly proud and satisfied, even if his role within the team had evolved. In an interview with the Parisian, the former PSG star said: ” The first six months may have been the most beautiful in my life. It was beautiful. It has become more complicated with the arrival of Neymar and Mbappé. These two signatures have changed a lot for me. It was a pleasure to play with them. When Neymar arrived … I had never seen anything like this in my life, it was incredible! And that's also why I stayed as long as possible. I wanted to see the level, how Kylian was going to evolve. Being on the field with players like that is a real pleasure is everyone's dream. »»
Draxler joined PSG in 2016
Neymar and Mbappé's arrivals in 2017 transformed its role.
He added: “J'loved this club. PSG is a slightly crazy club like me. When we think they recruited Neymar for 222 million euros and three weeks later Mbappé for 180 million euros… There is always new in this club, stories! We never get bored at PSG. I felt good in Paris, proud to wear the jersey of this big club and to say: “I play PSG. »» I liked our way of playing, we took pleasure in the field. It is a magnificent club.
Draxler left PSG on loan to Benfica in September 2022 before joining Al-Ahli in Qatar definitively in 2023. At 31, he continued his career in the Middle East, but he has a moved memory of his Parisian years, remembering both the pleasure of playing alongside superstars and the challenges that their presence represented.
