Arsenal transfer news: Unai Emery rules out sale of Julian Draxler

PSG boss Unai Emery has dealt a serious blow to Arsenal’s hopes of signing Julian Draxler this January.

Arsene Wenger has been closely following the development of Draxler since the player’s time at Schalke, and has been reported to want to bring him to the Emirates either this winter or in the summer transfer window. But Emery has cooled those aspirations by claiming that he values Draxler enough to keep him at PSG.

“He’s in a constant evolution and he still has a lot of energy.” Emery told Sky Sports (via Metro). “At PSG, Draxler is in very good hands, he’s a great contributor to our game, he’s learning a lot.

“I talk to him a lot and I’m very demanding with him and he’s one of those very ambitious players and he shows that with good performances, also for the national team, and he’s a very important player for us.”

Draxler would have been a great alternative to Alexis Sanchez who looks very likely to leave for free in the summer as he is free to talk with other clubs as soon as this January.

But with this latest bit of development, Arsenal are left with no choice but to focus on other transfer targets, among which Monaco’s Thomas Lemar and Lyon’s Nabil Fekir.

More: Arsenal chase former Stoke City and Blackburn defensive midfielder