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Barcelona have completed the signing of Turkish attacking midfielder Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid on a 5-year contract, as reported on their official website. Turan joins the Catalans in a deal worth a fixed fee of €34 million along with €7 million in incentives.
The reigning Champions League winners have continued with their spending spree this summer, despite their transfer ban, as they added to their already completed signing of wing-back Aleix Vidal from Sevilla, which was done early in June. Just like Vidal, Turan can only start his Barcelona career on the 1st of January 2016. Arda will be the second Turk to play for Barcelona, after goalkeeper Rustu Recber.
Turan was a player that manager Luis Enrique wanted badly, and has shown in the last few years at Atletico Madrid that he is a great player, who can do both, play with finesse, and fight, as per the situation. He played 178 matches for Atletico Madrid, scoring 22 goals and assisting 32.
The deal, which was completed just some time back, has strengthened Barcelona further while directly weakening a title rival in the form of Atletico Madrid. However, the whole transfer does have a complicated structure, due to the fact that it was done during the club’s electoral process.
Deal constructed keeping Presidential elections in mind
The deal that has been constructed has provisions such that it allows the club to sign a player requested by the Coach and Technical Committee, while at the same time allowing the next Board of Directors enough freedom that they can ratify the operation.
With the club interested in the player, and not wanting to lose him to any other club, they proceeded to conclude the deal, which is worth €34 million plus €7 million in variables. At the same time, with the intention of respecting the President-elect and the Board of Directors potentially not wanting Turan at Barcelona, they have included a buy-back option for Atletico Madrid.
That option states that Atleti can buy the Turkish international from Barcelona for a fee that will be 10% less than what he cost the Catalans, which comes to around €30 million. This clause, however, is only valid until midnight on July 20th, after which if the Madrid-based side do make an approach, they will be rejected.
This entire deal has been ratified by the Managing Committee, who have indicated that their actions are in complete synergy with the Club’s statutes, which state that the actions are permitted as long as they are “limited to the necessary and vital activities that allow the club to function normally and protect its interests”
The Presidential elections finish on the 18th of July, and the new President and his board will then proceed to complete the agreement, or veto it, and allow him to return to Atletico.
