According to the latest reports, Barcelona are hoping to land the signature of Atletico Madrid star Arda Turan.

The Daily Mail‘s Matt Maltby, citing Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, reports Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu “has already tied up a deal” for Turan.

Turan’s agent, Ahmed Bulut, has already confirmed the Turkish star will depart the Vicente Calderon this summer, though he hinted it would not be to another club in La Liga. Per Maltby, he told AS: “His intention is to leave Spain this summer.”

However, the temptation to play for giants Barca could entice Turan to remain in La Liga.

Real Madrid TV’s Phil Kitromilides believes Turan to be one of Atletico’s best players. High praise indeed, considering the level of talent in Diego Simeone’s squad.

The Turk is indeed a fine player but would be far from guaranteed a place in Luis Enrique’s starting lineup.

Front three Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are practically untouchable, while Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic are unlikely to make way in midfield.

However, Turan scored three goals and made six assists in all competitions last season, making him comparable creatively with Iniesta and Rakitic, while his willingness to retrieve the ball and help out in defence would ease the reliance on Busquets.

If the versatile midfielder were to arrive at the Camp Nou this summer, he would most likely find himself moved into a more central role and rotated among Barca’s midfield trio.

If he is deployed in his more traditional wider role, then he could feature as cover for the marauding Dani Alves at right-back.

While Barcelona are a tempting prospect, Turan would be given a more important role in the team elsewhere, so a move to the Premier League still looks the more likely outcome in his desire to move on.

 

Inter Milan to Loan Martin Montoya

Sport‘s Samuel Marsden reports Barcelona full-back Martin Montoya is on the verge of joining Inter Milan:

The Spaniard has failed to establish himself in Barca’s first team, starting just six games in La Liga last season.

Alves’ contract extension means Montoya’s opportunities will continue to be limited if he remains at the Camp Nou.

As reported by Sergi Dominguez, Montoya was eager to leave in January:

A move never materialised, but it now seems Montoya will finally get his wish.

Barcelona undoubtedly would have preferred a permanent move rather than a loan deal, but it represents a low-risk opportunity for Inter, who can evaluate the player long-term before committing to buy.

There’s plenty of scope for Montoya to nail down a starting berth in the right-back position with Inter, as Hugo Campagnaro is now 34 and neither Danilo D’Ambrosio nor Yuto Nagatomo have cemented themselves as the undisputed first choice, but he must start contributing more effectively.

The 24-year-old has an excellent chance of kickstarting his career after a difficult spell, but he needs to take the opportunity with both hands and show that he can live up to his potential. 

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