Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler rejected a move away from the German club in the summer in order to enhance his chances of going to the World Cup, according to Sky Sports.

The German international was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal or Chelsea this summer and the Gunners made an official bid that was accepted, but the player rejected the move.

Draxler is one of Europe’s hottest prospects at the age of just 19 but Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger would not have bid for new boy Mesut Ozil if the Draxler move went through.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is a big fan of the playmaker but the Blues refused to make a bid due to the excessive midfield options already at Mourinho’s disposal, highlighted by Victor Moses being allowed to leave on loan.

"The World Cup's at the end of the season and you always need time to get used to a new team," he told Fifa.com.

"It was not an easy decision. You never know whether you will ever get such an offer again.

"In the end, I followed my heart and decided to remain at Schalke. On top of that, I'm convinced I'm at the right club with Schalke.

"We haven't had a great start to the campaign and I was a bit disappointed after the first few games, but I think we took another important step forward after signing Kevin-Prince Boateng. We've got a strong team."

[cat_link cat="premiership" type="grid"]