'It would be a lie' - Former PSG attacker Julian Draxler admits he moved to Qatar for the money

Former Paris Saint-Germain forward, Julian Draxler, admitted that he moved to Qatar for the «financial aspect» of the deal.

WHAT HAPPENED? The German international chose to leave the French champions in the summer after he understood that his opportunities would be limited under Luis Enrique. Hence after making 190 appearances for PSG, he chose to leave Parc des Princes in favour of a move to Al-Ahli where he ended up signing a two-year contract.

Draxler has now admitted that he chose to leave Europe not only because he is interested to «know a new culture» but was also enticed by the «financial part» of the deal.

WHAT THEY SAID: In a statement put out by the player in his LinkedIn profile he wrote: «First of all, I look back on a wonderful time in Paris: I came in 2017 as a young man and now leave as an adult family man who has seen the world and has learned an incredible amount on and off the pitch over the past six years.

»For all the memories and experiences, I am extremely grateful to the club and all the people in Paris.

«But, especially in Germany, many are asking: Why Qatar now? Why not the Bundesliga, why not another European league? It was simply not possible to reach an agreement and, to be honest, I lacked the last conviction for a step within Europe.

»I also found the idea of jumping into the deep end far away from Europe at the age of 30 appealing and it was also important to me that I could play football properly again and be on the pitch regularly in competition mode. The alternative at PSG would have been a year without any prospects, which I wanted to avoid at all costs.

«And yes: Of course, the financial aspect also plays an important role for me. I could stand up now and say: After 12 years in Europe, I am