Arsenal are reportedly leading the race to land Euro 2016 star Oguzhan Ozyakup while Manchester United remain interested in the Turkish midfielder.
Spanish publication Deporte Valenciano have revealed that Arsenal are leading the race to sign Besiktas midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup. The report adds that Premier League rival Manchester United remain interested in the player while Valencia are eyeing the midfielder as a replacement for Andre Gomes, who completed a transfer to Barcelona.
The report adds that Besiktas were unwilling to part with the player earlier, but the situation has now changed. The Turkish giants are ready to cash in on the player and have reportedly kept the asking price at €20m. The 23-year-old was one of the best players in the Turkish league last season with an average rating of 7.41 over 31 appearances. The midfielder managed to score 9 goals and provide 7 assists in the 31 league matches, and was a crucial cog in the Besiktas squad as the club lifted the Super Lig last season.
Manchester United and Valencia have been linked with a move for the player but Arsenal lead the charge. He is a former Arsenal player having graduated from the academy at the Emirates before moving to Besiktas in search of regular first-team football. The player may want to return to the club that educated him at the early stages of his footballing career. Although, if a move were to materialise, it would be a slap on the club’s face as the Gunners would be spending €20m on a player they let go four years ago for a paltry sum of €500,000.
Does a move for the midfielder make sense for the Gunners?
The move may go through as Arsenal would not have much problem shelving out the reported €20m on the player, and Ozyakup would like to return to the club he once joined as a schoolboy. But, does the move actually make sense for the player and the club?
Ozyakup mostly plays as a defensive midfielder, a position where the Gunners have already recruited, in Granit Xhaka from Monchengladbach. One should also not forget the presence of fellow academy product Francis Coquelin and Egyptian Mohamed Elneny, both of whom play in the same position. The talented polish youngster Krystian Bielik also warrants a mention as he is on the gates of the first-team setup and naturally plays the same position. Thus, Ozyakup would be one of five players to share game time at the position and unlike the scene at Besiktas, would not be definitely starting each match.
The player is mostly known for his creative side, having the amazing ability to create goal-scoring chances, for both himself and his teammates. Although, for a defensive midfielder, the player has visible weakness in his tackling ability and does not contribute much to the defensive aspect of the game.
If Wenger were to think of playing the player in the central midfield slot in a more attacking role, the player would fall behind Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain in the pecking order. It is worth mentioning that there is no Aaron Ramsey named among them even after his brilliant performance at the recently concluded European Championships. This is due to the fact that while Wenger prefers the aforementioned players to be played through the middle, the Frenchman often has adjusted his other stars in the midfield by pushing Ramsey out wide.
Even without Ramsey, this leaves Ozyakup with a lot to do in order to climb up the pecking order, something which he wouldn’t be bothered by in Turkey with Besiktas. The player is only 23 years old and the lack of regular footballing action might just stunt his growth as a midfielder. Arsenal, in reality, do not actually need a central midfielder or central defensive midfielder right now and the transfer, if it does happen, would most likely not bear much fruit to either the club or Ozyakup.
