Arsenal have been given a boost in their race for Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler after the German side reportedly rejected a £15.6million offer from Juventus, Arsenal’s main rivals for the 21-year-old.

The Gunners have constantly been linked with a move for the young German, a player Wenger believes has a huge future ahead of him. The only stumbling block for the north London club is the £30 million quoted by the German side, a fee Arsenal are unwilling to match.

Schalke’s sporting director, Horst Heldt, had this to say:

“We have checked the offer, which was out of the question for us.”

“In a very realistic way, there are many proposals in the market. Today we presented an offer based on our evaluations and I think there’s still a big gap.”

“That was one of the many proposals we have put forward during this market. The player belongs to Schalke 04, so obviously it ultimately depends on them.”

“We are in no rush but the squad at [Massimiliano] Allegri’s disposal is solid and we are trying to add a few cherries to the cake. We are working on a playmaker, or at least a midfielder with certain characteristics, and a left-back who can act as an alternative to Patrice Evra while Kwadwo Asamoah recovers from his injury.”

“We are looking for eclectic players, who can allow us to set out the team in various different ways. We are looking for a midfielder with certain characteristics.”

So it seems Arsenal have a real chance of making the German their man, they just need to stump up the cash!

[All quotes sourced from The Guardian]