The ex-Wolfsburg attacker is seen as an ideal replacement for the veteran winger, whose contract expires next summer
Bayern Munich are on the hunt for a replacement for veteran winger Franck Ribery, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Julian Draxler touted as a standout candidate.
According to France Football, Bayern are considering signing the Germany winger next summer, when Ribery’s contract expires.
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There were rumours last summer that Bayern wanted to sign Draxler. But with Ribery, Arjen Robben, James Rodriguez, Kingsley Coman and Thomas Muller in the squad, Bayern were hardly short on wingers and attacking midfield options.
At the end of August, president Uli Hoeness told SportBild: “It is out of question, that Draxler is a player who would fit to Bayern, but we don’t want to sell any of our players right now.”
With the contracts of Ribery, 34, and Robben, 33, expiring, the situation is expected to be a different one at the end of 2017-18.
Asked recently whether the club will extend Ribery’s contract, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Sky: “I cannot answer this question seriously today.
“He is a player who has done a lot for the club, who has many sympathies in the club and in our crowd.
“But, in the end, football is a competitive sport and we have to ask ourselves if Franck Ribery is the future or if we need a new player.”
Ribery is currently ruled out with a knee ligament injury and has missed many matches in the past few years due to injuries.
Ten years Ribery’s junior, Draxler is viewed as a perfect replacement on the left wing.
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After leaving Wolfsburg for PSG last January, Draxler made an immediate impression at his new club, scoring 10 goals in 25 matches in all competitions last season.
However, the expensive arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at Parc des Princes this summer has left the 24-year-old fighting for his place in the first XI.
His contract does not expire until 2021, but a transfer to Bayern could be a perfect win-win-situation, with the reigning Bundesliga champions getting a Ribery replacement and Draxler an important role in a big club.