Arsenal transfer news: Mesut Özil 'asks' Gunners to sign Julian Draxler

A round-up of the latest transfer news and rumours surrounding the Emirates Stadium

Mesut Özil reportedly wants Arsenal to sign Julian Draxler before committing his own future (Getty)

Arsenal are once again being linked with a move for wantaway Wolfsburg midfielder Julian Draxler after reports in France linked the 23-year-old with a move to the Emirates as well as Champions League rivals Paris Saint-Germain.

Draxler looks nailed on for a move in January after falling out with the Bundesliga club, despite only joining the club from Schalke last year, and he has been a long-term target on the radar of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners have shown a reluctance to move for Draxler though and did not lodge an offer when he left Schalke in 2015, but various reports suggest that Wenger remains keen on the Germany international and has kept a close eye on his availability over the last season.

According to French media outlet RMC Sport, Draxler could become an integral figure in the future of Mesut Özil, with his compatriot currently locked in talks with Arsenal over extending his contract until 2020.

RMC Sport claim that Özil has asked the club to move for Draxler in a demand that would help convince him that agreeing a new deal is the right move for his career. Özil is not the only player Arsenal have contractual concerns over, with Alexis Sanchez also stalling on a new deal with 18 months left to run on his current terms, but the club believe that Özil is much closer to extending his stay at the Emirates and the addition of Draxler could be the move that seals his future.

The report adds that Arsenal are not the only club interested in Draxler though, with Paris Saint-Germain keeping a close eye on him ahead of the January transfer window. It’s claimed that the reigning Ligue 1 champions have already made contact with Draxler’s agent over the possibility of a £25m offer, although Wolfsburg are yet to receive any formal bid.

One bit of good news for Arsenal though is that two other first-team players look to be closing in on new deals in the form of midfielder Francis Coquelin and striker Olivier Giroud.

The Daily Mail claims that Coquelin has been offered the chance to double his £40,000-a-week wages by committing his future to the club until 2021, despite having two-and-a-half years left to run on his current deal.

Frenchman Coquelin has been a mainstay in the Arsenal midfielder this season given Granit Xhaka’s struggles to adapt fully to the demands of the Premier League and the injuries suffered by Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey this season. Having come through the Arsenal academy, the 25-year-old has developed a reputation for being Arsenal’s tough-tackler in the midfield, something which they have been accused of lacking in the past.

Giroud looks in line to extend his contract until 2019 (Getty)

His compatriot, Giroud, is also expected to sign a new deal that will extend his contract by 12 months until 2019. The striker is currently having to play second-fiddle to Alexis Sanchez, but he has proven his worth with a number of goalscoring displays after coming off the substitutes’ bench.