Arsenal almost signed Croatian defender Domogoj Vida in the summer transfer window but were scuppered by Besiktas’s demands that they include David Ospina in any deal.

Arsenal were heavily linked with a move for Domogoj Vida in the summer window as were Besiktas with David Ospina. But the Turks, as tends to happen with them, weren’t interested in paying anything close to full market value for Ospina and a move was not able to be agreed.

Besiktas were also unable to match the wages Ospina was earning with Arsenal, or get anywhere close, and the Colombian ended up moving to Naples on loan where he looks set to stay permanently.

Arsenal reportedly made a bid of €12m for Vida in the summer but scrapped their transfer plans when Besiktas asked for Ospina to be included in the deal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJv8-z4947A

Now 29, Besiktas were trying to sell Vida in the summer on the back of his impressive World Cup in order to secure funds to reinvest in the squad. The sale never happened so they were unable to do that and Vida is now expected to stay with the Turks until the summer at least.

€12m is significantly lower than the €28m that was rumored in the summer, or even the £15m that was mentioned when the Besiktas president landed in London.