3 reasons Arsenal are right to target £15m valued former-youth player Ozyakup

Emre Sarigul

October 6, 2015

3 reasons Arsenal are right to target £15m valued former-youth player Ozyakup

Arsenal's Dutch striker Robin Van Persie (L) talks to midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup during a training session at Arsenal's training ground, London Colney, north London, on September 27, 2011, ahead the forthcoming UEFA Champions League group F football match against Olympiakos on Wednesday. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images) — Arsenal’s Dutch striker Robin Van Persie (L) talks to midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup during a training session at Arsenal’s training ground, London Colney, north London, on September 27, 2011, ahead the forthcoming UEFA Champions League group F football match against Olympiakos on Wednesday. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

2. Big club player

Özyakup is no stranger to the pressures of playing at a big club. Beşiktaş are one of the biggest clubs in Turkey with millions of fans domestically and across Europe. The pressure of playing at the Turkish giants is immense in-fact former current West Ham manager said he owes his ability to cope with big Premier League games down to his time coaching the Black Eagles. Bilic was unable to win a single Istanbul derby during his time at Beşiktaş but believes the extreme pressure has helped him in England. The Hammers have of course beat Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City away this season. “I always remember the Istanbul derbies and what went wrong, whenever we face the giants in England I refer back to those big games in Turkey,” Bilic told Fanatik.

Özyakup recently scored the opening goal in Turkey’s 3-0 win over the Netherlands in the Euro 2016 Group A qualifiers and has four assists as well as two goals in all competitions this season.