Newcastle United are keen to bolster their squad this summer to improve their competitiveness next season and the name of former Arsenal man Oguzhan Ozyakup continues to adorn the back pages.
Rafael Benitez’s side, along with the likes of Everton and West Ham, are being linked with a move for the Turkey international as he edges towards the end of his contract, raising the likelihood of a free transfer occurring this summer.
However, reports from TurkishFootball suggest that this is all part of Besiktas’ cunning plan to keep Ozyakup at the club and avoid paying Arsenal the 25% sell-on clause that the Gunners hold following his switch to his homeland.
The plan is for Ozyakup to run-down his contract before agreeing a new deal with Besiktas, effectively signing as a free agent, but a transfer would still be on the cards as it would include a release-clause of £10.5m.
That’s certainly an affordable fee for Newcastle to match but the whole situation concerning Ozyakup appears to be a mess, so there could be further twists ahead.
