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Did we make the right call to let this youngster go?

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Image for Did we make the right call to let this youngster go?

Besiktas have signed Arsenal youngster Oguzhan Ozyakup.

TurkishFootball.com confirmed the deal £566,000 deal, with the Gunners said to be receiving a sell-on percentage of around 25% from any future move that the Turkish youngster may complete in the future, as well as

It is understood that the 19-year-old decided to quit Arsenal following a lack of first-team opportunities.

Speaking on his move to Besiktas, Ozyakup said:

‘I’m very pleased to have become part of the Be?ikta? community, in my opinion Be?ikta? is one of Turkey’s biggest clubs and God willing we will be successful as a team.

‘There are big names at the club, this is an advantage for me, I have a lot to learn from them.’

Ozyakup signed for Arsenal as a schoolboy in 2008 and made just two appearances for the north London club during his four year stay.

Now I for one can’t understand why our club would allow such a bright talent to leave, I really don’t.

Gary Glessing, a member of the Arsenal youth set-up, once compared Ozyakup to Cesc Fabregas. Now I’m not saying that he would’ve have been better than the Spaniard, but to be likened to one of the best centre midfielders in the world, at the age of just 18, tells you something about the Turkey Under-21 international’s potential and ability.

He wasn’t given a chance to prove his ability in the first-team. Yet again you can understand why as we currently have a number of top players in the midfield department. However, I still would’ve liked to seen more of this kid in the Arsenal shirt. Perhaps he should’ve been more patient, but young footballers aren’t these days, are they?

Hopefully, in the future, our decision to let him go doesn’t prove to be the wrong one.

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16 comments

  • Wenger knows these young players better than any of us. We depend on what we read, he depends on what he sees everyday. I think we should let the manager do his work other than castigating the things he does, shouldn’t we?

  • Maverick says:

    What people are probably forgetting the MOST about this situation is that Neil Banfield and Steve Bould worked tirelessly with the youth set-up and have now stepped up to the first team. Wenger may not have seen the youth team so much as well as reserves but i am quite sure they would have given feed back constantly to Wenger as to who could work well within the 1st team construct. Now that Banfield and Bould are directly working with the first team i am 100% sure that the first things they would have addressed is who is good enough who needs work and who should really be sold (I.E been with youth too long not progressing or who are just not good enough) and i am sure that Bould and Banfield would have been brutally honest about some and hence why you have seen a lot of names leave this year instead of before because questions will have been asked and they would have been answered.

    Us fans may have seen quality in him, but Wenger always gives chances to people who he believes in and that is what annoys us fans the most at times because he gives chances to people we dont see much in but Wenger does…think of Song, Ramsey, Diaby…..he sees something in these people. I am damn sure that if Bould and Banfield AND Wenger saw something in this guy he would be staying………remember that guy from youth set-up who was meant to be the next Cesc which was too greedy and wasnt willing to wait his turn and for the right time Fran Merida…..too selfish too greedy wasn’t willing to wait wanted glory……noooooooooow mmmnnnnn fran merdia WHO??!! To us he looked great and we were LIVID when he was sold, but we have never heard from him again and he has never starred for anyone either but Arsenal got a bit of money for him. Maybe it is the same for this guy…maybe for all his skill he lacks application and is greedy and selfish maybe not a team player and thinks too much of himself. He might be Ozyakup WHO……….in a few years!! Also remember Wilshere, How brilliant was he for his first season…if Wenger was dumb he could have been sold……but Banfield etc knew how good he was hence why we see him. They know what they are doing even if they seem like they dont to most fans.

  • RobM says:

    “Now I for one can’t understand why our club would allow such a bright talent to leave, I really don’t.”

    It may be – and with the greatest of respect and best wishes to Ozyakup – that the club’s coaches have seen more of the player than the average blog writer or blog reader, and know the difference between a cesc and a denilson when they see one.

    This site has lots of transfer rumour stories on it – how do you think any of those will be afforded, if not by offloading players who the club thinks will not making it here?

  • Davi says:

    As maverick says, there are serious comparisons to be drawn between him and Fran Merida. Merida btw was actually on the fringes of the first team, scoring in the PL before he left. If he hadn’t got injured after scoring that goal, it might all have turned out differently, but the fact remains, he made a mistake in leaving arsenal, because I’ve no doubt he would have had more chances to prove himself, and I still believe he would have done well. The same is true for Ozzy, but it remains to be seen whether he will follow the same path as Merida, and I hope he does well.
    I really think it’s to do with his nationality change. I think he’s been advised to make the move by the Turkish national coaches to improve his chances of getting into the full Turkey side as early as possible.

  • The BearMan says:

    Towards the end of the season with Arteta injured and Ramsey not firing I believe we show have given this lad an opportunity. Some times Reserves can prove more dangerous than first team players.

  • ken says:

    try to allow wenger to swallow his mistake in signing squilachi, cos he now knws squil is a flop . As for park he needs sm playin time b4 he can be criticised.

    • bc says:

      Firstly park needs to return to the club. by all accounts he stormed out on the last dwy of the season and has not contacted the club since.

    • The BearMan says:

      The very first game I saw Squallaci play for Arsenal was for the reserves, I knew he was going to be a flop!

  • bc says:

    Ozyakup is 1992 born player. we currently have 11 more in that year that will all in 2 years mature to homegrown. exactly how many do you think we can retain? the 25 man rule is imposing massive limitations on the squad and in particular how many young players make the jump from under 21 to homegrown. ozzy was in the same year group as wilshire ryo campbell frimpong miquel jenkinson and a number of others. i would say all that lot are way ahead of him in the queue for a place in the 25.

  • Hashim says:

    First Barazite, then Sunu and Nordtviet and now Ozyakup. Why do they buy these youngsters when they are not going to be played anyway. Really disappointed

  • Jp says:

    They are bought to give a chance to grow and a possible opportunity, but overall to make money.

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