Turkish national team manager Guus Hiddink flew into London this week to hold talks with Arsenal’s Oğuzhan Özyakup. Hiddink is hoping to convince the midfielder to switch his international allegiance from Holland to Turkey.
Özyakup, who played in the Reserves’ 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Tuesday, has previously rejected suggestions he could represent Turkey, but he has left the door open after negotiations with Hiddink. The Turkish FA published a list of potential stars of the future during the week. The list included Chelsea’s Gokhan Tore and Portsmouth’s Nadir Ciftc, but Oğuzhan’s name was also there despite the fact he is the current captain of Holland’s Under 19’s.
Suggestions in the Turkish media claim Hiddink has drawn up a plan of action for Özyakup, who’s contract expires at the end of the season. The plan would see the midfielder move to Hiddink’s former outfit PSV in the summer where he could keep close tabs on the prospects development. However, the 18-year-old admitted he knew nothing about a move to PSV, but did acknowledge Hiddink’s visit.
“I felt honored by his visit, but you should not draw conclusions from it”
“I’ve been playing with the Dutch teams for years and I am very happy. Any choice between the Netherlands and Turkey has not yet been addressed. Right now I focus me on Arsenal. My contract expires at the end of the season I would first like to sort out my future.”
Talks on a new deal are yet to advance beyond the initial stages.
I really hope he will sign.
J, no probs for the tip-off initially.
how has his development been? He is in a position with lots of competition
Firstly, lets get this lad a new contract and a few CC run-outs.
Secondly, he’s U-19 Netherlands captain, so why would you switch to a nation who are never going to progress in international football beyond a qualifier at best, never to grace a knockout stage of a tournement.
Turkey got 3rd at the ’02 Copa Mundial(World Cup) and now have the best national team manager in Guus Hiddink.
who are never going to progress in international football beyond a qualifier at best, never to grace a knockout stage of a tournement.
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Someone clearly knows sweet FA about football. Turkey have had some great cup runs ,most recently at Euro 2008, they were good WC 2002 and Euro 2000.
I can’t see him making it here at Arsenal.
He’s got talent but it will be hard for him as he plays in probably the most competitive position at Arsenal. However, having just turned 18, he will need to get into the Carling Cup by next year and maybe even feature in preseason next year. He needs to take advantage of Randall going out on loan and secure a starting place in the reserves XI, and if he does that, then maybe we can force himself into Wenger’s plans. He has a chance but with Aneke’s emergence, who’s much younger, and Henderson who’s been a reserves regular, it will be VERY hard for him.
But regardless of the difficulty he may face I’d love him to sign another contract. Being the Dutch U-19 captain at just 17, he must have loads of potential.
He is only 18 years old? he will have to wait 2-3 more years at least before he have any chance to make it. With our midfield right now he will have to be loaned out 2 season or so
This chap is one overrated player, I believe he will leave on a free and move to a far lesser team than Arsenal, Dutch second division perhaps?
Very talented kid. Very good technically, and excellent vision. I rate he and Henderson above Lansbury, but all three of them have a helluva hurdle to become anything more than bench players.
Cesc (as long as he’s with the club), Nasri, Diaby, Wilshere, Ramsey, and Song all have potentiall 8-12 more years at the the top depending on their ages. The guys behind them can’t really count on the 1st teamers getting old and retiring. You never know what the future lies in terms of transfers, Cese might leave, some of the others might leave, but if your behind them in the pecking order a tranfer of the guy ahead of you isn’t something you can count on.
No, the likes of Ozy, Hendo, Lansbury, Eastmond, Yennaris, Aneke, and even the youngster Meade and Reese will probably just have to develop into better players then the early twenty-something 1st teamers in front of them.
I really only see Aneke, Ozy, and Yennaris being able to stip up into the class of the players in the 1st team rotation.
Hendo might sneak in but let’s face it. It’s going to be a brutal path to the starting 11 for all of them.
My money’s on Aneke.
The midfield is competitive, but that’s very healthy for arsenal football club. One player who definitely would have played this year is frimpong. He and wilshire were the 2 that shined throughout pre-season.
I also like aneke and afobe, who can both play in the winger positions as well as freeman. Next year we could have a wealth of English players with great temprament application and attitude playing in the first team.
Kc clearly hasnt been watching lansbury,
The kid is one of best talents and is far and above most of the young talent we have.
Lansbury will make it at Arsenal,I am sure of that.
Agreed how he can rate that scrub Henderson above Lansbury is beyond me, as for Ozy he will go the same way Barazite is going and that is out the door.
Should we really be bringing in these foreign kids at 15/16 years old anymore. With the quality of the local kids being so good now I question the need for it. Our stand out performers in recent years in the Academy and Reserves have all been English kids so why the need to uproot young lads and there families unless they are so good that they have a realistic chance of making it into the 1st team.
so Kent, do you think his way out of the door is definite ? Is there any chance he will bounce back like Fabs do ?
Ozy is a good player but there is just to much competition in midfield at the club, and out of all the young central midfield players at Arsenal between the ages of 16 to 18 years only Chucks Aneke stands out to me as being potentially something special, and who could make the step up to the first team with ease. Where as the likes of Rees,Ozy,Henderson etc, etc are all good players but are nothing to write home about, P.S i have not seen that much of Nico Yannaris to make a judgment on him, also Frimpong is out with a busted knee so we will have to see how he comes back from that to make a judgement on him as well IMO.
How about JET ? I saw everyone rated him so much. As for me, I think he can be something, hopefully with us. But I can see him breaking into 1st team having vela and Bendtner around..
The reason i did not mention JET is because he is on the verge of first team football where as the likes of Ozy,Henderson and Rees are not.
Oh, I see. He is used sparingly and rarely start for the 1st team. I think it’s due to our Carling Cup opposition, which required a more experience player. So, I haven’t categorized him as senior squad yet.. but I guess it’s fair to consider him as one though. He has great talent.. :)