Arsenal are waiting on developments after submitting an offer for Besiktas midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup. According to recent reports in the English media, the Gunners are looking to sign the Turkish midfielder as his contract winds down and a return to north London could now be on the cards for the former Arsenal player. Ozyakup was sold by the Gunners boss Arsene Wenger back in 2012 and now the French manager is looking to offer him a route back to the club next summer.
The Premier League giants are currently waiting on Ozyakup’s response after they offered him a deal to make a sensational return back to English football. The Besiktas captain was sold by the north London outfit in the summer of 2012 for €500,000 having not made a single appearance for the Arsenal senior team in the Premier League. However, Wenger now wants him back and could seal a move for him on a free transfer with his current contract with Besiktas set to expire at the end of the season. The 25-year-old failed to make an impression under Arsene Wenger in his first stint, with just two first-team appearances to his name when he featured for Arsenal in the League Cup.
The 25-year-old has gone on to feature prominently for the Turkish national team, earning 30 international caps for his nation, and has made over 200 appearances for the Black Eagles. He has won the Turkish Super Lig twice during his time at Besiktas, but a return to London could now take place with the midfielder having some unfinished business in the top tier of English football.
Ozyakup has played in 26 matches for Besiktas this season but is yet to find the back of the net. However, he does have six assists to his name across all competitions. Arsenal are currently sitting in 6th place in the Premier League table with a tally of 45 points in 26 league matches. Arsene Wenger’s men are five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea who occupies the final Champions League spot.
The potential addition of the Turkish midfielder next summer will undoubtedly bolster Wenger’s midfield options ahead of the new campaign and could help them bridge the gap between themselves and the top 4 in the coming years.
The Gunners have lacked some ‘steel’ and ‘bite’ in their midfield for the past few seasons so a move for the Turkish international might solve some of their problems at the centre of the park. Only time will tell what lies ahead in the future of Ozyakup and whether the north Londoners are successful in their attempts to lure their former academy product to the Emirates Stadium.
