£9m Tottenham Hotspur target Arslan said aim was to emulate Van der Vaart

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Tottenham Hotspur have been linked to Tolgay Arslan.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for talented midfielder Tolgay Arslan, according to Turkish outlet Fotomac.

Arslan, 27, represented both Turkey and Germany at international youth level and currently plays for Besiktas.

He played most of his career at Hamburg, where he starred alongside former Tottenham Hotspur hero Rafael van der Vaart.

Speaking to the Hamburger Abendblatt in 2012, he said his goal was to one day replace the Dutchman as Hamburg’s key attacking threat and wanted to make the most of working alongside him.

Van der Vaart and Arslan both left Hamburg in 2015, after a poor season in which the club only avoided relegation via a play-off.

He has since been playing in Turkey and has featured in the Champions League for Besiktas this campaign.

The 27-year-old would find it tough to break into the Tottenham midfield, which is one of the strongest in Europe.

He does not possess the same attacking influence or flair which Van der Vaart did, which is demonstrated by the fact he is yet to score or assist for Besiktas yet this season.

Arslan is altogether a more defensive style of player, who could still be an asset to Spurs if Victor Wanyama’s knee injury appears worse than first thought.

If he wants advice on Tottenham, then his old Hamburg pal is only a phone call away.