Arsenal target Oguzhan Ozyakup has reportedly confirmed he will be staying with Besiktas this summer.
Besiktas midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup has confirmed in an interview with Turkish newspaper Milliyet that he is set to stay with the Super Lig champions this summer. The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a host of top European clubs but has put all speculation to rest.
The Euro 2016 star told Milliyet,“The offers may come, but I don’t want to go. I want to stay at Besiktas for another year, and contribute to the Champions League.”
The Turkish newspaper also reported that Besiktas held talks with Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund while AC Milan and Arsenal had registered their interest in the midfielder. According to Milliyet, the player had rebelled against Besiktas in order to secure a move away from the club earlier in the summer but the midfielder has now seemed to have taken a U-turn on his earlier stance and will be staying with the Super Lig club this summer, at the very least.
The Turkish international told Milliyet that he was willing to stay with Besiktas for another year in order to help them in their Champions League adventure, which means that any move involving the 23-year-old is likely to happen only in the next summer window.
Manchester United were also reported to be linked with the player but Arsenal were leading the race to sign the 23-year-old. It is interesting to note that the player was earlier a part of the Arsenal youth setup but was let go by the Londoners for a paltry fee of €500,000 as he was in search of regular first-team football. Ozyakup has since come a long way and has established himself both at club and international level.
Question marks were already raised as to how Wenger would be able to fit the midfielder into his first-team setup at Emirates, if the player was to make the move. Ozyakup has now laid all the speculation to rest by ruling out a move to his former employers. This is yet another blow Arsenal have received in the current transfer window after their failed pursuit of Gonzalo Higuain and Jamie Vardy.
