Arsenal to raid Besiktas for two former Premier League products
Published:
Either there is some rather epic Arsenal trolling at play, or Arsene Wenger really has forgotten how building a title-winning team works.
Tuesday morning’s transfer gossip insists that the north Londoners will finally dip into the market for some outfield players in January, after copping boatloads of stick for only buying Petr Cech this past summer.
Rather than hoovering up the shiny dust from Barcelona and Real Madrid’s resplendent squads, as has previously been the case, Wenger will instead take his chequebook to Besiktas to purchase not one, but two failed Premier League academy players. And that’s not even the punchline.
One of those Black Eagles targets is none other than former Arsenal prospect Oguzhan Ozyakup, who the Turkish club have converted from an attack-minded centre-midfielder into a holding one.
Yep, that’s right. Arsenal’s hunt for an anchorman has become so tragic that they are willing to re-sign a 23-year-old they handed just two senior starts to, then sold for mere thousands of pounds three years ago.
Since then, Ozyakup has thrived. This term he has four assists and one goal in six games and his value has increased beyond belief. Besiktas will ask for £15m for Dutch-born Turkish international.
Alongside Ozyakup, the Gunners will also have to shell out another £15m for one-time Chelsea youth Gokhan Tore.
Also 23, the right winger never managed to make a first-team appearance for the Blues and found his way to Besiktas by way of Hamburg and Rubin Kazan after his 2011 Stamford Bridge departure.
Fifteen goals, 24 assists and 85 outings for the Black Eagles have followed and his performances have reportedly caught the eye of Manchester United in the past.
Following their 3-0 win over the Red Devils at the weekend, Arsenal find themselves in second place in the top-flight, two points off Manchester City and 12/5 to win the title.
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