Arsenal snap up 15 year old Dutch prospect

It has been reported today by De Telegraaf, one of Holland’s biggest papers, that Arsenal have managed to convince another youngster that his future lies with the Gunners, with Turkish born Holland U17 International Oguzhan Özyakup choosing to leave AZ Alkmaar rather than wait for a chance in Holland before getting a transfer to one of Europe’s bigger clubs.

The reason that this is possible is through the current contractual situation regarding players under the age of 16, which stops potential stars from being held down to contracts keeping them at the club. This means that British clubs, for example, can raid clubs for the biggest talents and lure them here for both the clubs stature and also for the more lucrative contracts that they get. What’s more, we then only have to pay a small fee to the clubs that have been responsible for the players football education up until we sign them, with the fee being settled at a tribunal as in the case of Fran Merida if the two clubs cannot come to an agreement.

Unsurprisingly, Özyakup is a highly technical player who can play either on the right on in the middle of midfield, and like Ignasi Miquel he will arrive at the club when he turns 16. He is currently second top scorer for the B1 AZ Alkmaar side, having been moved up to the A1 category midway throught this season I believe. He has been impressing people at Alkmaar for some time, having scored all four goals in a game for the C2 side back in 2006, as well as working his way up from the Holland Under 15s to the U17s. The move to Arsenal will also take him closer to Holland team mate Jeffrey Bruma, the starlet now plying his trade with Chelsea, who, as well as obviously Nacer Barazite at Arsenal, will help him settle in Britain next season.

Thanks to http://youngguns.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/arsenal-sign-oguzhan-ozyakup-from-az-alkmaar/, where I first found out about this story.