FC Barcelona could sell the midfielder who was one of their key signings last year.
It was a rough 2015-16 season for Turkish midfielder Arda Turan. He wasn’t able to play for FC Barcelona until January despite being signed in the summer due to the transfer ban. After being allowed to play, Turan only appeared in 25 games for FC Barcelona (He started 12 of them). Turan only scored two goals for the Catalan club last year.
With the likes of Sergi Roberto and the return of Rafinha, Turan could be seeing the same amount of playing time as last year. The arrival of Denis Suarez from Villarreal could push him further down the pecking order with the price it took to get him to the Nou Camp (40 million Euros), it might not be worth keeping him there.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, FC Barcelona is ready to cut their losses and sell Turan. Other reports suggest that they are willing to sell him around the price range of 20-30 million Euros, a sale that would be a loss for the Catalans.
Some of the teams linked to Turan are Arsenal, Chelsea FC, Borussia Dortmund, and Italian champions Juventus. The two English are the ones with the best shot at landing him. Turan can offer a solid presence in the midfield, particularly on the edges or on the wing. He has an insane work rate and his ability to push into the final third makes him even more dangerous on the wings.
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He can also cross well and he has some speed cause problems for defenses on the counter. Tracking back is also a big part of his game and he learned that while at Atletico Madrid, running all over the place to cover and block shots when necessary. The willingness to track fully back is something that not all wingers have and it is a valuable trait when you find one that has that.
But there are also downsides to his game. There are concerns about how much he still has left in his body. He ran a lot at Atletico Madrid and it took something off his game. His offense is also overrated in a sense that he doesn’t really shoot well and his finishing ability is sub bar. He can cross and pass well but scoring isn’t one of his best traits. If he is on a team where he is expected to produce goals, he will struggle.
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It’s an interesting argument when it comes to selling Turan considering he has only been with FC Barcelona for such a short period of time. Half a season if we are counting the actual time he was eligible to play. But if he’s going to be buried on the depth chart, might as well sell him for something and maybe use that money to buy something that FC Barcelona needs. A quality backup striker perhaps?