Gokhan Tore has been nothing short of a disastrous signing for West Ham – and Tottenham Hotspur are targeting his former team-mate.
The closest Ozughan Ozyakup came to playing Premier League football with Arsenal was appearing on the bench, as Arsene Wenger’s injury-stricken side were decimated 8-2 at Manchester United in September 2011. On reflection, the Turkish midfielder was probably quite glad not be given the nod on that occasion.
Yet, according to The Express, Ozyakup could finally make his Premier League bow in North London six years on – though with Tottenham Hotspur instead.
The 24-year-old has been one of the most impressive performers in the Turkish Super Lig this season, helping Besiktas to the top of the table, and the publication claims that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is a keen admirer of the £12 million-rated international.
A dynamic central midfielder renowned for his driving runs from deep and ability to thread the ball through the eye of a needle, Ozyakup seems an ideal fit for Spurs’ high tempo approach.
Yet, his stand-out performances and concurrent links with Tottenham, as well as European giants Sevilla and Roma, will raise questions about why Slaven Bilic didn’t do more to bring him to West Ham last summer.
Instead, the Croatian, who coached Besiktas for two seasons, plumped for Ozyakup’s team-mate Gokhan Tore. Yet, as each and every West Ham supporter will tell you, on-loan winger Tore is up there with the Marco Boogers’ and Benni McCarthy’s on the club’s list of infamous flops.
The Guardian reports that West Ham paid £2.5 million to sign the 26-time Turkish international for the season, with a deal in place to make it permanent for £10 million in the summer.
After five largely horrendous appearances and a six-month absence with a knee injury, however, it seems distinctly unlikely that West Ham will take up that option.
The question, however, is whether Bilic will make another move for one of his former players in the summer. Or whether Tore’s struggles will convince him to give Ozyakup a wide berth.
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