Barcelona are said to be interested in taking the pearl of Turkish football to Camp Nou this summer, according to recent reports.
Arda Guler, just 18 years of age, has been known to scouts for some time, growing an excellent reputation across Europe’s top clubs. This season he has taken enormous steps with the first team at Fenerbahce, appearing 30 times this season.
That amounts to 1128 minutes, and has brought the Turkish giants 6 goals and 4 assists in that time. It averages out as a direct goal contribution once every 112 minutes, an excellent rate for most players, let alone a youngster making his first steps in the game.
Unsurprisingly, a number of Europe’s top clubs are keeping an eye on him. Last month Relevo reported that Barcelona were highly interested in him, having seen success recruiting players around the same age as Guler, most notably with Ronaldo Araujo and Pedri.
The latest reporting from Niccolo Schira, an Italian transfer expert, is that as many as six teams are interested in Gurler though. Barcelona’s competition consists of Newcastle United, Arsenal, Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax.
Many important clubs are interested in signing the turkish top talent Arda #Guler (born in 2005): #Newcastle, #Napoli, #PSG, #Barça, #Ajax and #Arsenal monitoring #Fenerbahce’s player. #transfers
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) May 8, 2023
The Blaugrana would be forced to explore alternative options to sign Gurler, such as a loan with an option to buy. Fenerbahce are rumoured to be asking up to €20m for his signature, although given the interest in him, there is nothing to stop that fee rising.
Either way, Barcelona will not be able to afford him this season, and it seems it will be a stretch next campaign. Persuading Gurler to sign on a temporary basis would also be a tall task, given the competition.
This comes not long after reports that Barcelona are set to try and raise €200m through cuts and sails this summer, including €30m from other sports and youth football. Under pressure Director of La Masia Jose Ramon Alexanco looks likely to keep his job this summer too, despite losing several talented youngsters.
Those cuts could ultimately be far more damaging than missing out on the likes of Gurler. If Barcelona do have €20m to spend this season or next on youngsters, it should be invested into La Masia.
The Blaugrana turn to the academy in their hours of need, and without that investment, they would not be able to count on the likes of Gavi, Lamine Yamal or Alejandro Balde.
All three are arguably better prospects than Gurler too, but the appeal of shiny new talents seems far greater than those in Sant Joan Despi – Barcelona should ensure they have their priorities right nonetheless.
