Julian Draxler, now playing in Qatar for Al-Ahli, has offered a candid reflection on his time at Paris Saint-Germain, one of the most turbulent and fascinating chapters of his career. In an interview quoted by Goal via Le Parisien, the German midfielder admitted that while the early stages of his PSG adventure were among the happiest moments of his life, the dynamic inside the squad changed dramatically after the high-profile arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.
“Maybe the first six months were the best of my life. It was magnificent,” Draxler recalled. “The situation became more complicated after Neymar and Mbappé arrived. Those two transfers changed a lot for me. But playing with them was a pleasure. When Neymar came… I had never seen anything like it in my life. It was incredible! That’s one of the reasons I stayed at the club for so long. I wanted to experience that level, to watch how Kylian would develop. Being on the pitch with players like them is pure joy — it’s every footballer’s dream.”
When Draxler joined PSG in January 2017 from Wolfsburg, he arrived as one of the brightest young German talents. At just 23, he had already won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and built a reputation for his elegant dribbling, vision, and versatility in midfield. His first half-season in Paris was indeed dazzling — he scored goals, delivered assists, and looked like a player perfectly suited for the ambitious project being built at the Parc des Princes.
But everything shifted in the summer of 2017. PSG stunned the football world by breaking the transfer record to sign Neymar from Barcelona for €222 million. Weeks later, they secured the services of teenage prodigy Kylian Mbappé from Monaco, another deal worth over €180 million. Suddenly, Draxler went from being one of PSG’s marquee signings to fighting for minutes behind two of the most expensive and marketable players in football history.
This dramatic change was not simply about playing time. The style of the team evolved, with Neymar and Mbappé becoming the focal points of PSG’s attack. Draxler, who had thrived in a more balanced system, found himself needing to adjust to new roles — sometimes deeper in midfield, other times as a utility player deployed in various positions depending on tactical needs.Despite the difficulties, Draxler emphasized the privilege of sharing a dressing room with such generational talents. Neymar’s arrival, in particular, left a lasting impression on him. “I had never seen anything like it,” Draxler admitted, pointing to the Brazilian’s technical brilliance, creativity, and charisma. Training and competing alongside Neymar offered lessons in improvisation and flair that few players in the world could replicate.
With Mbappé, Draxler had the chance to witness a young talent blossom into one of the greatest forwards of his generation. Joining PSG as a teenager, Mbappé’s meteoric rise — from Ligue 1 prospect to World Cup winner in 2018 and later global superstar — unfolded before Draxler’s eyes. Watching his development firsthand was part of what kept the German midfielder at the club for longer than he might have otherwise stayed.
Ultimately, Julian Draxler’s years at PSG can be seen as a story of both challenge and privilege. He never became the central star of the team, as some may have expected when he arrived in Paris, but he carved out an important role as a reliable squad player who contributed whenever called upon. His technical ability and professionalism earned respect from teammates and coaches alike, even if his career in France did not always match the spectacular highs of his early promise.
From 2017 to 2023, Draxler collected numerous domestic titles with PSG, including Ligue 1 championships, Coupe de France victories, and Coupe de la Ligue triumphs. While the elusive Champions League trophy slipped through the club’s fingers, those years marked a transformative period in European football, with PSG becoming one of the most star-studded teams the game had ever seen.
