Barcelona are reportedly looking to offload Arda Turan in the coming days, with Galatasaray interested in snapping up the player.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Arda Turan could yet leave Barcelona in the next few days. The Blaugrana are in talks with the player’s boyhood club Galatasaray to negotiate a move before the transfer window in Turkey closes on Friday night.
Turan’s progress has come to a grinding halt ever since he secured his dream move to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2015. Having made a belated debut for the Catalan club though, owing to their transfer ban, the dream has turned into a nightmare for the player.
Turan has started a mere 24 games during his time at Camp Nou, with Neymar and Lionel Messi firmly established as the first-choice attacking options. However, following Neymar’s move to PSG, the player’s prospects don’t seem to have improved much, leaving him in a limbo at Barcelona.
Therefore, a move away from Camp Nou looks to be on the cards for the former Turkey international, with little chance of featuring prominently under Ernesto Valverde this season, especially following the arrival of Ousmane Dembele.
Galatasaray are still hopeful that they are close to a loan deal for Barcelona’s Arda Turan.
The window in Turkey closes on 8th September. pic.twitter.com/5grSbZx5eU
— Football Transfers (@TransferBibIe) September 4, 2017
His agent, Ahmet Bulut has been reportedly working on negotiating an exit for Turan, with several clubs reported to have been interested in signing him. However, with the window slamming shut in England and Italy, a move to Premier League or Serie A is not possible.
But, his boyhood club Galatasaray have been public about their interest in Turan as well. With the transfer window in Turkey open till Friday night, the Super Lig club are in talks with Barcelona to negotiate the 30-year-old’s return to the Turk Telekom Stadium.
With his career unlikely to progress at all at Barcelona, and with no other suitors vying for him anymore, a move back to Galatasaray represents a golden opportunity for Turan to resurrect a stuttering career, and provide his best years to the club where he is likely to feature week in week out.
Galatasaray, though, are only willing to negotiate a season-long loan this summer as they do not have the financial means to pay a transfer fee, which is likely to be sizable considering Turan still has three years left on his current deal at Barcelona, and the player’s wages.
It now remains to be seen if Barcelona agree to send Turan back to Turkey on a temporary basis to get his wages off their books and then negotiate a permanent transfer next summer. A move away from Camp Nou is certainly likely for the player though.
