Having already completed a sensational transfer move to former Valencia striker Rodrigo, Leeds United are being linked with another high-profile signing of this summer, with PSG midfielder Julian Draxler reportedly of interest to the Whites.
The German international only made 11 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season, having slipped down the pecking order under new boss Thomas Tuchel, having signed from the club from Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg for a reported €42 million.
This got us thinking, what kind of impact could Julian Draxler have at Leeds United in the Premier League next season, if he does sign for the club?
To find out, we booted up popular football management simulation game Football Manager 2020, to see what could happen with Julian Draxler in the Leeds squad next season.
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We 'signed' Julian Draxler for Leeds United next season
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2020 editor to arrange for Julian Draxler to join Leeds ahead of the 2020/21 season, with their promotion to the Premier League confirmed.
The Football Manager database currently contains data on more than 800,000 individuals and 45,000 active clubs, with data sourced from their international on the ground scouting network which numbers roughly 1,000 people, among their ranks are some who are involved in football in professional capacities, including scouts and coaches.
In addition, each annual iteration of Football Manager has built-in algorithms which check for outliers and data discrepancies. Data accuracy is further ensured by input from contributors who are active within the professional game (players, agents etc.) who provide regular feedback.
This is how Julian Draxler's profile looks on Football Manager 2020.
As you can see, Draxler is a top quality talent, which exceptional technical attributes, although his work rate leaves a lot to be desired.
We then simulated the entire 2020/21 season on the game, to see what kind of impact the German midfielder could have at Elland Road next season. Here's what happened!
Julian Draxler's 2020/21 season for Leeds United
Draxler was a regular under Bielsa in our simulated 2020/21 season, but didn't quite have the impact you'd expect from a player of his quality.
The German international started every single Premier League game in the 2020/21 campaign, scoring four goals and providing five assists, earning an average match rating of 6.95, which is decent but nothing spectacular.
But the midfielder was among the club's most creative players during the campaign, with only Kalvin Phillips creating more chances for Leeds than Draxler throughout the campaign.
And the end of the 2020/21 Premier League season, this is how Leeds United's statistically best eleven looked.
Here is the full best Leeds XI: Casilla; Ayling, Koch, Cooper, Davis; Phillips, Klich; Hernandez, Draxler, Costa; Rodrigo.
Interestingly, even though Draxler was included as a number ten in the best eleven, he was most often deployed as a central midfielder by Bielsa, followed by a left winger and also made a few appearances at right wing.
So, with how did Leeds United perform in the Premier League with Draxler in the squad? Here is the final 2020/21 PL table in our simulation.
Leeds secured Premier League safety with a 13th placed finish, earning 39 points overall, finishing above Aston Villa, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Burnley, West Brom and Newcastle United.
Football Manager predicts that Draxler would become a staple of Bielsa's first team at Leeds United if he does sign, helping the Whites retain their Premier League status next season, despite the German not really showing the form that he is truly capable of.
There is absolutely no doubt as to Draxler's quality, but there are doubts over his work ethic off the ball, according to FM2020.
Would you like to see Julian Draxler at Leeds United next season? And, what did you make of this simulation?
As always these simulations are just one way of predicting a player's prospective impact, but it's interesting to see how Julian Draxler could perform for Leeds United, if the midfielder does sign for the club over the next few weeks.
