Newcastle United have tabled a £10.5million bid for Besiktas midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup but must wait to find if it has been successful, according to Aksam.
The Turkish newspaper claim the Premier League clubs have tabled an offer for the 35-cap Turkey international but officials from Besiktas are negotiating the terms of the sell-on fee with former club Arsenal.
Aksam report that the north Londoners were entitled to a 30 per cent sell-on clause after selling Ozyakup in 2012 but Besiktas are trying to renegotiate that before selling their star man.
OPINION
Newcastle’s bid to land Ozyakup is certainly a complicated one, and it appears there are plenty of hurdles to overcome before a deal is done. The former Gunner is out of contract this summer but reports in Turkey suggest he has agreed new terms and is then set to be sold. This will enable Besiktas to secure a sizeable transfer fee for their prize asset. Clearly, they don’t want him to go for nothing, which is what Arsenal would get if he were to leave on a free transfer. Is he worth all the fuss for Newcastle? Possibly. Rafael Benitez is in the market for a number 10 who can dictate the play and unlock well organised defences, although Ozyakup was used primarily in a deep lying playmaker role in the 2017-18 season. He has a fine scoring and creating record, scoring 27 goals and assisting 50 more since quitting the Premier League to join Besiktas. For £10million, he might be a reasonable capture, especially if Mikel Merino quits to return to Spain.
