3. Premier League expertise
Özyakup is no stranger to England or Premier League football having been schooled by Arsenal as a youth player growing up watching Cecs Fabregas on the training ground. The 23-year-old even spent time living with former Manchester United star Robin van Persie during his time in North London. The central midfielder played a major role in Arsenal’s Under-18s side that won the Premier Academy League title in 2009 before joining Beşiktaş in 2012 for a fee of €500,000. The Turkish international would not require a work permit either as he was born in the Netherlands and would have met the criteria needed to gain permission from the FA even if he wasn’t – due to his involvement in the national team.
