Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Hakan Calhanoglu, David Ospina Rumours

Arsenal have reportedly started talks to sign Bayer Leverkusen starlet Hakan Calhanoglu, the set piece specialist who has quickly emerged as one of the Bundesliga's top attacking midfielders.

That's according to Fichajes.net (h/t Metro.co.uk's Mark Brus), who claim the Gunners face competition for his signature from Premier League rivals Manchester United.

The 21-year-old has started Leverkusen's UEFA Champions League campaign in deadly form with two goals and an assist in two matches, per WhoScored.com. While he's mainly known for his uncanny ability to score on free-kicks, he's quickly becoming a very polished attacking midfielder with excellent vision and solid passing skills.

Calhanoglu is Leverkusen's main engine in midfield, playing the bulk of his minutes on the left wing but seamlessly switching to a central role or a spot on the right if necessary.

His ability to score spectacular goals from set pieces or open play makes him an exciting player to watch, and BT Sport's James Horncastle can't wait to see his battle with Roma's Miralem Pjanic in the Champions League:

A transfer seems unlikely at this point, however. Not only is Calhanoglu hugely important for Leverkusen, who rely on his ability to get the ball to Karim Bellarabi, but he only joined the club last summer.

He still has plenty of developing to do, and Leverkusen presents the perfect situation for him to do that.

Fichajes.net's report says the Bundesliga side will fight as hard as they can to keep the Turkey international at the club. With that in mind, the supposed talks that have started must have been rather short, and only a direct transfer request from the player himself could lead to a move.

Calhanoglu knows that for all of his ability, the last thing the Gunners need right now is another attacking midfielder. Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey are the obvious starters behind the lone striker in Arsene Wenger's 4-2-3-1 formation, and the Turk wouldn't be breaking up that trio anytime soon.

The Bundesliga star is certainly one to watch for the future, but it's highly doubtful he'll be leaving Leverkusen before the summer of 2016.

Besiktas Want David Ospina

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Turkish magazine Fanatik (h/t the Daily Mirror's Aaron Flanagan) believes Besiktas want to move for Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina in January, offering the Colombian a chance to fight for a starting position—something he can't do with the Gunners due to the presence of Petr Cech.

Ospina has been the starter for the Gunners in the Champions League while Cech takes care of the Premier League to the chagrin of fans, who want to see the former Chelsea man start every match.

Bleacher Report UK summed up their reaction when it was announced the latter would be in goal against Bayern Munich:

Per Flanagan, Wenger's decision to start Ospina in the Champions League comes from an agreement the two have, but after two losses, one has to assume that won't last. Ospina's days with the club seem numbered, and clubs have taken note. Le10Sport (h/t football writer Kristian Sturt) reported that Marseille are also watching the situation.

Ospina was excellent at the 2014 World Cup but had an up-and-down season with the Gunners in 2014-15, leading to the arrival of Cech.

The Colombia international is just 27, and with a fresh start, he could bounce back and rediscover the form that made him such a valued commodity with Nice.

Turkish-Football.com believes Ospina would be a fantastic addition for Besiktas, despite the solid form of current starter Tolga Zengin:

"

Tolga Zengin has been pretty decent but Ospina would be the icing on the cake for Besiktas

— Turkish-Football.com (@Turkish_Futbol) October 19, 2015"

The Turkish Super Lig has become something of a haven for Premier League castoffs, with Robin van Persie and Nani among the stars making the switch to Istanbul last summer. Besiktas have preferred to lean on younger stars, however, with Gokhan Tore and Oguzhan Ozyakup playing massive roles in their early success in 2015-16.

Given his age and the fact that he still has a number of years on the highest level left, Ospina would be a good fit, although Wenger would rather not let such a high-quality backup leave the club in January.

It would take away the pressure to start him in the Champions League, if such an agreement is in fact in place, but should Cech suffer a serious injury, Arsenal's bid to win the Premier League title would be in real trouble without Ospina there for cover.

Follow @ReverschPass