FC Barcelona’s newest signing, a 41 million man, Arda Turan could be loaned out until January according to President Josep Bartomeu, should he be re-elected as the President. The Catalan giants are not allowed to register players till next year, due to a transfer ban imposed on them.
Last night, it was confirmed that the former Atletico Madrid midfielder along with Aleix Vidal, would not be even allowed to participate in friendlies, till the transfer embargo ends on 31st December. The Turkish captain, has been signed earlier by FC Barcelona, amidst interest from other top European clubs, however, a decision on his future is set to be taken, after the new Barcelona President is elected on 19th July.
Turan’s loan must be to a team not playing in the Champions League
Turan, who was unveiled as a FC Barcelona player, earlier this month, may be allowed to leave till January, however, the loan deal must specifically be to a non Champions League playing team, as it is not allowed for a player to represent two different clubs in the same season in the Champions League, restricting the 28-year-old’s participation in the elite competition following his return from loan.
Bartomeu speaking to El Mon, a Spanish media station, earlier today, said: a This is a possibility,a
a But the final decision must be made by the Coach and it must be a purely technical decision.
a It must be a team not playing in the Champions League.a
The Spaniard further explained why Turan was the player out of the two summer recruits, who could potentially be loaned out till the end of December, as full-back Aleix Vidal has already decided to stay put and train with the squad, waiting for the completion of the ban.
Arda in No Man’s Land
Turan, was a first team regular, during his time with Atletico, and was instrumental in their title winning campaign in 2013-14. However, with his transfer to FC Barcelona, he finds himself in ‘No Man’s Land’. He is ineligible to play for the Blaugrana till new year, and a move to former suitors, Chelsea FC and Manchester United, has been ruled out, due to the duo’s participation in the Champions League.
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This leaves, the 28-year-old with a tricky decision to make, to either train with the Barcelona first-team for the next five months, till their transfer ban is lifted, or to move to a club not in the Champions League, potentially Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan or AC Milan. However, moving to an entirely new league could be difficult due to the settling in period.
The arrival of Turan, has further cast doubts over the future of Spanish winger Pedro, who had already seen himself fall down the pecking order, behind Messi, Neymar and Suarez. The Spaniard is said to be eyeing a switch to the Premier League in search of more game-time, with Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC keen to secure his services.