Arsenal are one of a number of Premier League clubs keen to sign Turkey international midfielder Berkay Ozcan from Super Lig champions Istanbul Basaksehir, according to Transfermarkt.
While he may not be the Mesut Ozil replacement Gunners fans are crying out for, with Sunday’s latest defeat at the hands of Wolves once again exposing a baffling lack of cutting edge at Mikel Arteta’s disposal, Ozcan is in many ways a typical, 2020 Arsenal target.
With the exception of Thomas Partey and Willian, the North London giants have been prioritising talented youngsters with plenty of potential in recent months; a policy only exacerbated by a financial crisis that has hit the club hard.
And Ozcan, at 22, ticks a lot of boxes.
He may be young but the midfielder appears to have a bright future in the game.
Transfermarkt reports that Ozcan, who is renowned for his dribbling ability and probing passes, is a target for a number of Premier League sides; although Arsenal are the only one mentioned by name in the report.
Interestingly, the three-capped Turkey international only joined Istanbul Basaksehir on a permanent basis from Hamburg in September, moving to his homeland in a £2.5 million.
Ozcan spent the 2019/20 on loan at Basaksehir too, helping the nouveau-riche outfit beat the likes of Galatasaray and Besiktas to their first ever Super Lig title.
He also played a key role as the capital club stunned Manchester United in the Champions League back in November.
Interestingly, TM adds that Ozcan has been on Arsenal’s radar since 2017, when he was a little-known youngster at Stuttgart.
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