Arda Turan Must Leave Barcelona To Save His Career

Barcelona announced the signing of Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid on July 6, 2015. The Turkish international had become a fan favorite at the Vicente Calderon during the four seasons he spent with the Madrid club.

The €34 million paid them by Barcelona was enough compensation for Atletico who were losing one of their best players in Turan. Barcelona had received a transfer embargo for signing under-age players and any new signings they made would have to wait till January 2016 before making their debuts for the club. This did not deter Turan who was bent on joining the Catalan side.

There was talk of him going on loan but he opted to stay in Barcelona and the only playing action he got was training with the first team. Six full months went by before he finally made his debut. In a Copa del Rey match, one could clearly see that Turan was not up to scratch. The time away from first team football had taken it's toll on the industrious midfielder. He would need more game time to get back to his former levels of performances.

Unfortunately, he found game time hard to come by. The trident of Messi, Neymar and Suarez kept him out of the starting line-up and Rakitic and Iniesta were not about giving up their starting positions. He ended up with only a handful of starts and headed off to the Euros in France with his nation, Turkey, where he was equally disappointing. He must be glad the 2015/16 season is over.

Turan's Barcelona career has not taken off yet and there are fears he might never get back to his former self at the Nou Camp. Game time will be at a premium once again with Messi, Neymar and Suarez showing no signs of stopping. Dennis Suarez has been re-signed and his arrival pushes Arda Turan lower down the pecking order. Rafinha and Sergi Roberto are all ahead of the former Galatasaray midfielder because of their understanding of the Barca philosophy, something Turan struggled to grasp in his debut season.

He will surely be better off moving to a club where he can have greater influence and Barcelona are willing to listen to offers for him.

Which Clubs Are Interested?

Arsenal are rumored to be interested in signing him. His speed and tenacity make him a good fit for the Premier League and Arsene Wenger can make use of him in his squad.  A move back to his former employers has also been discussed. Italian giants Juventus are also linked with the player and have the financial power to challenge for his signature. Fenerbache have registered their interest but a move to Turkey is highly unlikely. Then there's Dortmund also. The German club have already signed Marc Bartra from Barcelona and are in the race to sign the midfielder as well.At 29, Turan has a wealth of experience to offer and can still perform at the highest level if the conditions are right. Securing his signature will be be a shrewd bit of business.