Galatasaray club officials confirmed today they are in talks with Atletico Madrid for the services of midfielder Arda Turan. The 24-year old, who has been the team’s captain since 2009 has been linked with several times with a move to Liverpool, but it appears Atletico are attempting to secure his services ahead of the English club.
Galatasaray Confirm Talks With Atletico Madrid For Midfielder Arda Turan
There were reports last week that Atletico president Enrique Cerezo had begun negotiations to bring Turan to the Vicente Calderón in the summer, reports which were denied at the time. However, this morning the rumors were confirmed by a statement released by Galatasaray.
“We have started negotiations to pass on to our professional player Arda Turan Atletico Madrid and the public will be informed about its development,” the statement read.
Atletico’s move for Turan comes on the heels of reports in late March that the midfielder had informed teammates of his intention to quit the struggling club in the summer.
Just how Atletico will be able to the fund the rumored 12.5 million euro asking price for Turan remains to be seen. According to Marca, Atletico CEO, Miguel Angel Gil Marin traveled to Istanbul on Friday to both negotiate for Turan's transfer but to also discuss the possible transfer of forward Diego Forlan to Besiktas. The CEO is also in Turkey to attempt to advance a sponsorship deal with Turkish Airlines that the club has been negotiating since last year.
Turan is a talented young playmaking midfielder who already has 43 caps and 11 goals for the Turkish national team. Since joining the senior team at Galatasary in 2004, Turan has made 193 appearances, scoring 43 goals with 73 assist. This season has been Turan’s worst with the club as injuries have limited him to just eight appearances all year.
A player of Turan's calibre could be a big boost for Atletico going in to next season. They currently sit one spot out of a Europa League spot in seventh in the La Liga table, even on points with Athletic Bilbao and one point behind Sevilla who are in fifth.
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