Arsenal are watching the development of FC Cologne midfielder Salih Ozcan, according to Calciomercato.com.
The 19 year old played the full 90 minutes in both games against the Gunners in the group stages of the Europa League, and likely impressed manager Arsene Wenger and his coaching staff with his performances.
Ozcan made his senior debut for Cologne against Schalke at the start of last season, and has gradually been integrated into the first team setup, playing 15 times in all competitions last campaign before becoming a regular starter.
Originally a striker, he was prolific at under 17 level for Cologne, but has moved deeper to play in central midfield with the under 19s and the senior side. The German under 20 international has in fact not scored in his 34 appearances for the Bundesliga club so far.
With German Sven Mislintat now head scout at Arsenal, it is inevitable that the club will be linked with a lot of German based players, and it will be interesting to see what gems can be uncovered over the next few years.
