Confidence is growing at FC Barcelona in the race to sign Fenerbahce wonderkid Arda Guler, a target for Real Madrid.
According to Gianluigi Longari of Sport Italia, La Liga champions Barcelona are hopeful about signing Arda Guler in the summer transfer window. The 18-year-old wonderkid is also a target for Real Madrid and AC Milan. And he has a release clause worth €17.5 million in his contract with Fenerbahce.
Arda Guler has come leaps and bounds as a professional footballer despite still being in his teens. The Turkish sensation made his first-team debut for Fenerbahce as a 16-year-old. But 2022/23 was his breakthrough campaign at the club, as he featured regularly for the Yellow Canaries this past season.
The 18-year-old turned out 35 times across all competitions, chipping in with six goals and seven assists. Guler’s progress at Fenerbahce has not gone unnoticed either, with several high-profile clubs setting their sights on him. In addition, his release clause of €17.5 million makes him an attractive prospect. And Barcelona and Real Madrid are keen on signing the youngster.
Recent reports have claimed that Barcelona, Real Madrid, and AC Milan lead the race to secure Guler’s services. But the Catalan giants have inched ahead of the other two suitors after the latest developments. Deco recently travelled to Turkey to hash out a deal for the Turk with Fenerbahce.
The 18-year-old can be a long-term asset in Barcelona’s midfield and offensive units. And the newly-crowned La Liga champions are increasingly optimistic about landing the teenage prodigy. But Real Madrid will unlikely go down without a fight as the race to sign Guler heats up.
Reports this week have suggested Real Madrid will soon present the opening bid to secure Guler’s services. And they are in a healthy-enough financial position to pay €17.5 million to land the Turkish wonderkid. But commissions worth €17 million are complicating matters for the suitors.
Nonetheless, confidence remains high in the offices of FC Barcelona. And it will be interesting to see if Real Madrid and AC Milan can claw their way back and usurp the Blaugrana in the race to sign the 18-year-old. A deal worth €17.5 million is anyway on the cards with one club or another.
