Arda Turan has joined Istanbul Basaksehir on-loan until 2020.
The former Barcelona winger leaves the Catalans after two-and-half frustrating years at the Camp Nou.
He failed to make a single appearance for Barca this season as it became clear that he was not in the plans of the new manager, Ernesto Valverde.
The Turkish international has been an Arsenal target since his days at Atletico Madrid, but he decided to join Barcelona instead.
As he struggled to make an impact at Camp Nou the Gunners were linked with a move for his signature again last summer, but nothing serious came of it.
The arrival of Philippe Coutinho has pushed him further down the pecking order and this move was the best option for him.
Philippe Coutinho was not given a shirt number at his unveiling because the numbers 1-24 was already given out by the Catalans.
There were rumors that the former Liverpool man would inherit Mascherano’s number 14 when the Argentine leaves after this season.
However, the transfer of Arda Turan means he would most likely take the number 7 the Turkish attacker had been occupying.
Arda Turan’s loan deal would last for the duration of his Barcelona contract.
It is unclear what percentage of his salary is being paid by his loan club, but Barcelona would be delighted that they have taken one big earner off their bloated wage bill.
Leave Your Comment Here