Barcelona have very much taken pole position in the race to sign Arda Guler, Fenerbahce’s teenage sensation. Deco has recently stepped up the club’s efforts to sign the 18-year-old, having travelled to Istanbul for talks.
However, there are several other clubs keen to beat Barcelona to the post, and one of those is Real Madrid. They are very keen of signing Guler, and according to Fanatik (via MD), they have stepped up their efforts.
Roberto Carlos and Emilio Butragueno are preparing to travel to Istanbul, like Deco did, in order to begin talks with Fenerbahce and Guler over a possible move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
Guler has a €17.5m release clause in his Fenerbahce contract, but reports have suggested that Barcelona have offered €22m in order to sign him, which would mean that Real Madrid would need to match, or better, that bid.
Guler is keen to join his new club this summer, while Barcelona would prefer to move in 2024, as their financial issues are unlikely to allow a transfer now. This could certainly play into Real Madrid’s hands.
