Schalke denied Julian Draxler has a deal with Wolfsburg, but told worried Juventus “it’ll probably go on to the last minute.”
The situation exploded last night when Wolfsburg suddenly emerged as contenders for the 22-year-old midfielder, matching and even surpassing Juve’s offer of €26m plus €6m bonuses.
“The door is not yet closed, as we had extensive discussions on the transfer of Julian Draxler throughout Saturday.
“We will have to address the issue further. But we will also take the necessary time in order to make the best decision for the club,” director Horst Heldt told the official Schalke website.
“As of Saturday afternoon, Juventus had not made an official bid. The media claim Wolfsburg have a deal? That is not true.
“We all know what has to happen. A transfer has to be completed before 18:00 CEST on Monday. After our discussions on Saturday, it appears as if we are heading towards a last-minute decision.”
Heldt also flatly denied Bild reports that Draxler had joked around with the Wolfsburg players after Saturday’s Bundesliga defeat and asked how he looked in their jersey.
Juventus need a creative midfielder and cannot wait until deadline day to get an answer from Schalke 04, so are turning to other targets instead.
These include Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur and Zenit’s Axel Witsel.
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Juventus have turned their attention to Lyon attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir following Julian Draxler’s €36 million transfer from Schalke to Wolfsburg.
The 22-year-old France international playmaker has been identified by Bianconeri coach Massimiliano Allegri after the club missed out on the signature of Draxler despite being linked with a move for the German forward since the opening of the current transfer window.
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Allegri will try to push through a deal for the talented forward before the transfer window shuts on Monday, however, if a deal cannot be reached, Juventus will return for the player’s signature in January.
Fekir has scored 18 goals during 49 appearances for Les Gones since making his debut in 2013 and was linked with a move to the The Old Lady’s Serie A rivals Inter earlier this year.