Barcelona Misfit Arda Turan Waving Goodbye to the Nou Camp?

The Catalan outfit are looking to cut their losses and allow Arda Turan to leave on a free transfer, after failing to receive concrete offers for the Turkish forward. Turan – who was brought in from Atletico Madrid merely two years ago – has not played a single competitive game this campaign for Barcelona, which makes it a mutual interest for both him and the club to leave the club as soon as possible.

“More than a club” …but not for Turan

According to online sportsbook news, Turan’s agent Ahmed Bulut suggested his client could be on the move in the upcoming January transfer window, with a number of clubs expressing interest in the 30-year-old forward. “I have been in talks with four clubs, everything will be sorted in 15 days. Turan will either be loaned out or sold; there are offers from the Premier League, Spain and Italy,” commented Bulut.

The Turkish maestro arrived to the Nou Camp from league rivals Altletico Madrid in the summer of 2015 for a fee rumored to be around €34m plus another €7m in performance-related bonuses. But he didn’t play until January, 2016, as Barcelona were barred from fielding any players they singed in the 2015 calendar year, due to their transfer ban.

In his first half season, Turan made 25 appearances across all competitions, finding the back of the net on only two occasions; he was mainly deployed as a substitute player by then manager Luis Enrique. That same season, he helped Barcelona defend both their La Liga and Copa del Rey titles, but failed to defend their Champions League crown as Real Madrid snatched their then 11th European title.

The following season proved more fruitful for the Turk, as he played in 18 games in the league and 30 overall, while finding the back of the net on 13 occasions. His goalscoring form seemed to have improved in his first full season with the Catalans, therefore it’s a surprise that he isn’t favoured by Barcelona’s new boss Ernesto Valverde.

El Clasico on the horizon

After 16 rounds in the Spanish top flight, Barcelona sit top of the table undefeated, having clinched 13 victories and only 3 draws in the process. It’s worth noting that over the last 5 games, Valverde’s side have suffered setbacks which saw them record ties on two occasions, with one game ending with a 2:2 draw against Celta Vigo at home.

A return to Galatasaray seems to be on the cards (source: Turktime)

Just like their arch-rivals, Real Madrid maintain the same record in the last 5 rounds of La Liga with 2 draws and 3 wins, although both of their ties were recorded while playing away from the Bernabeu. But Zinedine Zidane’s men could be at a disadvantage; they’ve just come back from playing at the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, which could hinder their form especially as they prepare to go up against Barcelona in this weekend’s El Clasico.

Decide for yourself where Turan will head next by placing a wager on the special transfer market with Unibet Sportsbook. (For more details check out our review about Unibet Sportsbook.) Providers of internet betting in Turkey believe a return to his former club Galatasaray – where he plied his trade between 2004 and 2011 – seems like the most likely destination, with Unibet Sportsbook offering odds of 1/2 (1.50).

After not playing a single game under Valverde this season, we doubt he’ll remain with the Blaugrana side 7/5 (2.40). A more to the Emirates Stadium 5/2 (3.50) has long been touted as a potential transfer, but nothing has materialized over the summer; at Arsenal Turan could form a solid partnership with Mesut Ozil – who is a German national but of Turkish origin. AC Milan 10/1 (11.00) have also recently emerged as contenders for his signature, but we’re doubtful this transfer will really happen.