According to the Mirror, Julian Draxler is still a part of Arsenal’s transfer plans for the summer, as Schalke coach Jens Keller has confirmed the attacker’s release clause will still be active in the next transfer window.

Arsenal have felt the need to strengthen their attacking line over the course of the current season which has seen them recently lose the top spot in the Barclays Premier League. The Gunners have realised the importance of having depth in the squad, and have applied too much pressure on Olivier Giroud to help get results for the London based club.

Arsenal used Lukas Podolski and the rarely seen Yaya Sanogo to great effect, however vs Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday and it was Podolski who scored the winner from Oxlade-Chamberlain’s assist plus Sanogo turned in a decent performance before being replaced by Giroud very late on in the game. This result does not hide the fact that Wenger still needs more attacking depth but it was great to see Podolski playing and scoring although why he was subbed so early remains a mystery.

Draxler was on the radar of Arsene Wenger in the recently concluded January transfer window, but the club left it too late for any negotiations to reach a conclusion. Even though a deal had reportedly been agreed, it was too late for Schalke to find a suitable replacement for the prodigy. According to his contract, Draxler will be sold to the club that presents an offer of £37 million, and presumably Arsenal will be prepared to meet this valuation as no matter what happens this season they need to sign quality youngsters like the German to keep improving and keep up with the likes of Chelsea and Man City.