What went wrong with Julian Draxler?

The German was termed as good to be one the best players in the world but things didn't go his way.

Julian Draxler's name was frequently referenced in the same sentence with other young players of his generation at the beginning of their careers, like Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Neymar. He was once viewed as one of the long shots to one day achieve the same level of football success as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Draxler began his career at Schalke 04, where he made his debut at just 17 years old. He was then the fourth-youngest player in the Bundesliga to participate in a legitimate game. In his first season, he went on to contribute to 19 goals. 

Up until the summer of 2015, when he finished a high-profile transfer to Wolfsburg, he remained with the Royal Blues. He only played at Wolfsburg for one and a half seasons, scoring just five goals in 34 games.

Joined PSG

The following January, Draxler joined PSG, where he was able to regain his form under the direction of manager Unai Emery. He led Germany to the Confederations Cup victory to top off a fantastic season. Also, he received the title of a tournament player.

Yet later, Draxler's prospects diminished with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, who lost no time in seizing their places in the PSG side. Draxler was now limited to infrequent bench appearances.

In addition, the German's playing time plummeted after Lionel Messi joined, forcing him to join Benfica on loan even though he had extended his contract with PSG through 2024.

It was obvious that the Germans had no place among a front line that included Neymar, Messi, Mbappe, and Di Maria.

The French club's awful hiring practices, which resulted in their selecting a player for a position where Draxler was already thriving, severely damaged the German's career at PSG.

Julian needs a team that will allow him to regain his form because it appears that he still has quality when he plays. Fans can still ponder what might have happened if the Germans had stayed in Germany rather than moving to Paris.

Benfica on loan

Draxler joined Benfica on loan to get more time on the pitch, but the 29-year-old has only appeared in two games for the Portuguese team, which hasn't helped him any further.

And it looks like spectators are gradually losing the ability to identify a player's brilliance. There seems to be little chance for atonement for the ex-Wolfsburg player because of how far down the pecking order they have slipped.