Julian Draxler confirms he rejected a return to Schalke this summer | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler has explained why he turned down the chance to return to Schalke during the summer.

Draxler came through the youth system at Gelsenkirchen and went on to make 170 senior appearances for Die Königsblauen before leaving to join Wolfsburg in 2015.

In January 2017, the German international moved to PSG in a deal worth a reported €36m but his time in the French capital has not been a roaring success and his starting opportunities have been severely limited since the arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.

After playing a total of just 1,706 minutes in Ligue 1 last season, there were rumours the 24-year-old would depart the Parc des Princes during the summer, but Draxler says he rejected the chance to rejoin the club where it all began for him.

“It [Schalke] is a special club for me and I will always carry it in my heart,” he said, as reported by Calciomercato.com.

“But going back there now was not in my plans. From many things and today, I can not answer questions about my future.”

Draxler is yet to start any of PSG’s three Ligue 1 games this season but though he last week refused to rule out of the possibility of someday joining Bayern Munich, he insists he’s happy where he is for now.

“I never had any contact with Bayern officials [in the summer], and that’s why it’s currently not an issue,” he told Sport1.

“I would neither categorically say no [to an offer] nor would I drop everything.

“The situation at Paris is indeed very tough. The competition is high, especially in my position.

“In Kylian [Mbappé] and Neymar, the two best players in the world play there – or at least in my opinion they will be the best in the future.

“I saw no reason to run away [in the summer]. The situation simply had not changed and I made 47, 48 appearances last season.

“I like the club, I like the city. I feel at home and that’s why I saw no reason to do a runner.”