Arsenal Send Former Player Martin Keown to Scout Midfielder in Turkey

Arsenal have sent Martin Keown on a scouting mission to the Middle East to watch Besiktas and Turkey midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup, according to Foto Mac. 

The Turkish news outlet claim to have a quote directly from Keown, who said "the Turkish national team was not of the same quality as Besiktas in the Champions League, so Oguzhan, one of the players we followed, could not show himself. These matches can not be measured, we will watch him again later." 

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Ozyakup, who was a member of Arsenal's academy for six years, could be making a shock return to the Gunners after showing consistency in his performances throughout the last few seasons in the Turkish Super Lig. 

He only made two senior team appearances for Arsenal, however the creative midfielder could make an impact in an Arsenal side that relies heavily on the attacking play of a select few players. 

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Couple this with the potential departures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, manager Arsene Wenger may be scouting early for their replacements. 

Ozyakup has had a very successful time with Besiktas. The 25-year-old is club captain and since joining in 2013 has helped his side to a league title and multiple Champions League qualifications. He has made 188 appearances for the Besiktas, as well as cementing his place in the national team, having made 30 appearances for Turkey. 

However, Ozyakup has been linked with moves elsewhere in the Premier League to clubs including Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Spurs. Other big European clubs also have the midfielder on their radar, with Valencia and Inter Milan said to have an interest in the player.