Newcastle United and Barcelona have reportedly been told to fork out a huge commission by the agents of Fenerbahce talent Arda Guler.
The father of rising Turkish star Arda Guler is believed to be asking for a commission fee of at least €18–20 million from Barcelona and Newcastle United to approve a summer transfer. That is according to reports relayed by SPORT, which state the player’s father currently operates as his agent, which is why he is in a position to ask for a commission.
Guler has burst onto the scene as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe heading into the summer transfer window. A left-footed attacking midfielder with an eye for goal and vision, Guler has been tipped as the “Turkish Messi” by people in his homeland.
The 18-year-old came through the youth ranks at Fenerbahce and has grown into a pivotal player for the first team despite his young age. He finished the 2022/23 campaign with a tally of six goals and seven assists from 35 matches across all competitions.
Guler has also broken into the Turkish national team, featuring four times for them, in which he has scored one goal. The 18-year-old’s explosion has not gone unnoticed, as some of the top clubs in the game, such as Barcelona, PSG, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, and AC Milan, have taken an interest in his signing.
Barcelona, for one, have been scouting Guler and following his performances for Fenerbahce for a while now. On paper, it is too good an opportunity to pass up for such a talented and versatile player with world-class potential, especially with his release clause standing at a bargain €17.5 million. But it seems that is not going to be the cost of the operation.
The deal is rendered complicated because of the demands of his entourage. Guler’s father and representative is demanding a commission worth around €18–20 million to give the green light to the transfer.
That effectively doubles the expense and sets the scene for potentially more demands once it comes time to discuss a new contract. The total cost of operation has effectively ruled out the Catalans from the race, as they have other priority areas that need to be addressed first.
Premier League high-flyers Newcastle United are huge fans of the player and have monitored him for a number of months. They were also reported to have held talks with Guler and his family in Istanbul and should not have any issues paying the hefty agent fees, given they recently dropped out of the race for James Maddison.
That said, the 18-year-old is eager to join a club where he will be allowed to play regular first-team football, which would give their rivals AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund an advantage over the Magpies, who are pretty well-stocked in the midfield department, particularly after breaking the bank on Sandro Tonali.
