Arsenal Opinion: Dorukhan Tokoz could possibly solve more than one problem for the Gunners
According to claims from Turkish outlet Fotospor, as cited by MSN, Arsenal are scouting Besiktas’ Turkish international midfielder Dorukhan Tokoz, as manager Unai Emery looks to bolster his ranks ahead of the upcoming season.
Fotospor understands that the Gunners had scouts in attendance in Turkey’s 2-0 victory over reigning world champions France in the Euro 2020 qualifiers on Saturday and they were left impressed by the 23-year-old’s performances.
The same source claims that Arsenal are once again going to scout Tokoz against Iceland in the next game, whilst Serie A giants Napoli and Milan are also in the race to sign the highly-rated Turkish international following his impressive breakthrough season.
Premier League sides Newcastle United and West Ham have also been credited with an interest in the versatile central midfielder, with Besiktas’ president slapping a price tag of €25 million on the 23-year-old. (h/t Fotospor)
A youth product of Turkish club Eskisehirspor, Tokoz made his Super Lig debut for his boyhood club back in the 2014-15 season. However, he was forced to hone his skills in the Turkish second-tier thereafter following Eskisehirspor’s relegation from the top-flight before Besiktas saw enough talent in the youngster and swooped for him last summer.
Tokoz, who joined Besiktas for a paltry 150,000, found regular minutes hard to come by at Vodafone Park in the earlier stages of this past season and warmed the benches for 11 consecutive games before finally making his debut.
And the youngster grabbed his opportunities with both hands, making the most of his limited chances and eventually establishing himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.
The 23-year-old accumulated 3 goals and 4 assists in 25 appearances for Besiktas in all competitions, with manager Abdullah Avci rotating him between defensive midfield, central midfield, central attacking and right-back roles over the course of the season.
Tokoz’s consistently impressive performances at Besiktas earned him his first senior international cap for Turkey back in March and he has established himself as one of the nation’s brightest emerging prospects.
Essentially a defensive midfielder by trade, Tokoz has showcased the versatility to play in box-to-box and central attacking roles in the middle of the park, whilst also possessing the attributes to fill in at right-back.
A tough-tackling and all-action central midfielder noted for his tenacity, drive, determination and hardworking nature, he 23-year-old is more than capable of winning possession back for his team and holding things together in the central areas of the park.
The Turk not only excels with his ability to keep a close eye on the opposition’s attacking midfielders but he is also adept at carrying the ball forward, often acting as the vital link between the midfield and the forward line.
An energetic presence in the midfield, Tokoz breaks up the play, improves cohesiveness with his impressive range of passing and work-rate and always keeps popping up at the right places.
The 23-year-old averaged 2.8 tackles, 2 interceptions, 0.9 key passes and 1.1 clearances per game, figures which do justice to his tag as a solid and promising young central midfielder.
To put things into perspective, Arsenal are expected to work under serious financial constraints this summer and signing Dorukhan Tokoz could prove to be a shrewd piece of business from Unai Emery.
From finding a replacement for Aaron Ramsey in central midfield to bringing in reinforcements at multiple positions across the backline, Gunners have plenty of problems to address ahead of the upcoming season, and the arrival of Tokoz could possibly help them solve more than one issue at the same time.
The Turk’s versatility to play in multiple positions in the midfield should increase competition for places in the absence of Ramsey, whilst his ability to fill in as a makeshift right-back would also help the Gunners cope with the potential departures of Stephan Lichesteiner and Carl Jenkinson.
Hector Bellerin endured an injury-stricken campaign last term and the lack of adequate cover at right-back gave Emery a lot of problems.
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All in all, Arsenal need to bring in the correct personnel in the transfer window to implement Emery’s philosophy and Dorukhan Tokoz apparently has all the attributes to fit seamlessly into the Spaniard’s system at the Emirates.
