Why Berkay Ozcan can prove to be an interesting addition to Arsenal
Arsenal have been plotting a move for Turkish wonderkid Berkay Ozcan for quite some time now. The highly-rated midfielder is held in high esteem at his current club VfB Stuttgart and his impressive performances have already raised the eyebrows of several clubs across Europe, including Arsenal.
Born in Karlsruhe, Berkay Ozcan quickly made an impact during his time at the FC Karlsruhe youth academy. Ozcan left his hometown in the summer of 2013, as he moved to the Stuttgart U17s.
At Stuttgart, the midfielder started to showcase his talents, breaking through the youth ranks at ease. In a very short span of time, he was promoted to the senior side in 2016.
Following his debut against St. Pauli in August last year, Ozcan quickly started to make an impression in the Zweite Bundesliga(German second tier) and the midfielder didn't have to look back since.
Comfortable on the ball, Berkay Ozcan has the necessary ingredients to thrive in the Premier League. Although he may not be the strongest of operators in the centre of the park, the Stuttgart youngster does have the tenacity and creativity to make things happen in the final third.
The Turkish starlet has been labelled as the "next Mesut Ozil", largely thanks to his impressive ball-playing abilities. Not only does he have the quality to create chances in the final third but the youngster can also act as the midfield string-puller for his side.
Much like the Arsenal superstar Mesut Ozil, Berkay Ozcan likes to roam around the attacking areas of the pitch, casually rotating possession whilst always having an eye for that elusive through ball. One thing which sticks out the most about the talented youngster is the fact that, unlike Mesut Ozil, he is blessed with a great amount of pace, which helps him get past opposing defenders at ease.
Furthermore, the 19-year-old is also a very good dribbler, having averaged 2.5 dribbles per game this season. The fact that Ozcan can use both his feet equally well is what makes him a unique component in the attacking department.
Even though Berkay Ozcan hasn't played a shedload of games, of late, the Turkish youngster has already notched up a couple of assists in just six Bundesliga games this season.
Considering the fact that Arsenal might lose both of their attacking superstars in Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez next summer, Berkay Ozcan will no doubt be an interesting addition to the team. The Stuttgart midfielder has already shown glimpses of his talents in the Bundesliga this season.
The Swabians are already running a bit shallow in terms of their midfield depth with the likes of Dzenis Burnic and Matthias Zimmermann out injured. This could pave the way for young Ozcan to find more game time in the Bundesliga. Should he manage to consistently perform well for the remainder of the season, there's no doubt that Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger would be eager to have him at his disposal next season.
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