Newcastle United have not bid for Besiktas midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup according to a reliable journalist.
Chris Waugh of the Chronicle delivered an update on the Magpies’ previously reported bid for the midfielder, via his personal Twitter account, and shared no offer had been made as far as he was aware.
Reports in Turkey this morning claimed #nufc have launched a bid for midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup. Understand that's not the case. Midfield is a priority position for Rafa – & Ozyakup has been scouted before – but #nufc are looking elsewhere at the moment
— Chris Waugh (@ChrisDHWaugh) June 3, 2018
It was previously claimed by Turkish football news outlet Fotospor that the Magpies had agreed to pay £13.1million for the 25-year-old central midfielder, but according to Waugh the Magpies are currently looking at other options.
OPINION
This is not a surprise considering Turkish football outlets are hit and miss with their accuracy. Waugh’s update on the Magpies’ interest in the midfielder is hard not to believe as it seemed weird that the club had opted to spend £13.1million on a star that previously struggled at a Premier League club. Ozyakup only managed to feature twice for Arsenal and none of those appearances were made in the league, so it was bizarre that Benitez would sanction splashing the cash on him. The 25-year-old may have since excelled, registering eight assists in his latest campaign for Besiktas, but not enough for the club to spend £13.1million on him out of the blue. While it’s good to hear that the Magpies are looking to secure more midfielders, it seems likely that they will be players proven in the Premier League. Waugh’s huge update on the situation regarding any interest on Ozyakup at least for now, makes a deal seem unlikely.
