Reported Arsenal target Draxler pushes for Wolfsburg exit
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Just weeks after Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs conceded that star attacker Julian Draxler was staying put this summer, the German international has candidly expressed his desire to leave the Lower Saxon side before the Bundesliga transfer window slams shut Aug. 31.
With speculation suggesting Draxler is on Arsenal's radar, the 22-year-old has hit back at Wolfsburg's assurances, claiming that the club has known of his intent to leave for three weeks.
"Before you go public like that, you really should speak with me first," Draxler told German publication Bild, as translated by Sky Sports.
"The situation with me is that I made it clear to (head coach) Dieter Hecking after we were knocked out of Euro 2016 in the semi-final that I would like to leave Wolfsburg."
The Schalke youth product appears annoyed by reports suggesting he's content at the Volkswagen Arena.
"The coach has known about this for three weeks. It's very surprising that they have been talking about me to the media for weeks.
"I would have expected things to be different, for example for one of them to come to me and ask me how things are with me."
Under contract at Wolfsburg through 2020 after making the switch from Schalke in 2015 on a €34-million move, Draxler doesn't have any intentions of seeing out the terms of the deal.
"When I joined, I was assured - verbally - that I could leave the club whenever the opportunity arose.
"Both Hecking and Klaus Allofs said this. It was clear that Wolfsburg had good prospects, but also that they were a springboard for me."
After a solid Bundesliga campaign with 34 appearances paired with a supporting role at Euro 2016, Draxler is ripe for a move to a continental power, with Arsenal and Juventus the two parties reportedly interested.
"It was always clear to everybody that I would like to join a top club in Europe, if I were to get the chance."