Versatility can take you a long way in football. Just look at the sheer level of interest being shown ahead of the summer transfer window in the Arsenal-linked rising star who, during recent years, has played on either wing, in attacking midfield and in a defensive destructor role before establishing himself as an all-action left-back.
HITC Football understands that Arsenal, having initially shown an interest during the January transfer window, may be joined in their pursuit by Wolves and North London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur come the summer.
The £17 million-rated Ferdi Kadioglu, one of the most tactically flexible young players on the market, has been nothing short of a revelation since blossoming as a left-sided full-back at Turkish Super Lig challengers Fenerbahce.
To think, he was an up-and-coming right winger when rising through the ranks in the Netherlands with NEC Nijmegen. Not that Kadioglu’s former team-mate, Ole Romeny, has been taken by surprise, the Dutch-born Turkey international the sort of player you could probably even stick in goal and expect a few stand-out saves.
Arsenal and Tottenham are keen on Ferdi Kadioglu
“One of my best friends is Ferdi Kadioglu. He is doing very well now. He has become a defender,” Romeny, now at Utrecht, tells Voetbal Primeur.
“I also played one-v-one with him very often. That boy is so strong and so fast in the first (few) metres. In the youth (teams), he often played as ‘eight’ and as a ‘six’ in midfield. You also have to be able to defend a bit to play there.
“It was in him, he is also tough and can be really aggressive. So I always knew that you could put him (in defence).”
A jack of all trades footballer
Kadioglu is reportedly valued at £17 million. His past as a midfielder and his two-footedness certainly suggests that the 24-year-old would be able to adapt to the inverted full-back role favoured by Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta also likes his full-backs to drift infield, a la Oleksandr Zinchenko. It’s telling that The Gunners extended the contract of Takehiro Tomiyasu recently too, the Japan international the classic ‘utility man’ in Arteta’s squad.
“(Kadioglu can reach) the absolute top,” Romeny adds. “He is also special as a left back. There is no one with (his) footballing qualities.”
Fenerbahce president Ali Koc admitted recently that he expects Kadioglu to leave this summer. There is also interest from the likes of Tottenham, Newcastle and Aston Villa in Fener’s defensive midfielder Ismail Yuksek.
HITC have been told that Arsenal and Spurs are also pursuing Fiorentina full-back Michael Kayode.
The post 'So strong and fast': Arsenal or Tottenham could sign a 'special' player for £17m appeared first on HITC.
from HITC https://ift.tt/gcNOd7j
No comments: