5 destinations for Barcelona outcast Arda Turan

Admit it, you’ve forgotten about Arda Turan. The Turkish magician became a revelation at Atletico Madrid but since his move to Barcelona in 2016, things have turned a little sour.

36 games in just under two seasons doesn’t sound that bad but when you’re comfortably away from starting, even with injuries, and about to run 31, it’s maybe time to look elsewhere. Luckily for him, other clubs across the globe haven’t forgotten what kind of impact he can have, hence the interest from a variety of different teams.

Here’s a look at five sides that could be possible destinations for the Turkish international in the winter transfer window:

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#5 Arsenal

The Gunners have an excellent starting eleven. While most of the attention is on two of the biggest names in Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are running out their contracts, everyone has forgotten that they’ve gotten incredibly thin behind them.

Alex Iwobi is a good player but when Danny Welbeck is more of a striker, Theo Walcott is on his way out and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain now at Liverpool, so they need more attackers. In steps Turan, who can play all across the attacking line, whether that be through the middle behind the striker or on either wing.

Admittedly, this isn’t a team that the Turk can expect to start with. Thomas Lemar is still very much on their radar and at his age, Arsene Wenger would immediately see him as his best secondary option and will give the team extra depth they’ll need to push for the top four in the second half of the season.

Will that be enough to satisfy him? Will it encourage him to get back to the form we saw circa 2014? That is where this one maybe falls a little but if the opportunity arose, he would certainly jump at it.

#4 Galatasaray

A return to Galatasaray?

Homecomings are hard to resist. There’s so much romanticism about going back to where you came from, where your story started in order to finish what you began.

That’s why the rumours of a move back to Turkey and Galatasaray can’t be far away from Turan’s mind. The Istanbul side haven’t got European football this season but are well positioned in the Super Lig, sitting just a point behind surprise leaders Istanbul Basaksehir.

However, if they do want to overcome the rest of the strong teams in Turkey, they need an extra attacking option. Tolgay Cigerci has been productive in small doses, Sofiane Feghouli and Younes Belhanda are creative forces but none have the pedigree of the 99-capped Turkish legend.

With Fatih Terim in the hot seat as well, it might be too hard to resist. Not many get a chance at that fairytale conclusion, so it’s not impossible to see Turan be on the first plane home.

#3 Everton

Big Sam has big plans for Everton

Everton are in dire need of an extra bit of quality. They brought an abundance of attacking midfielders that lacked width or speed, forcing them to fight it out in central areas and end up getting nowhere.

Turan might not give them a great deal of pace but he does love to dribble with the ball, giving them that much-needed penetration in the final third. Mix him in with Gylfi Sigurdsson and young players like Domenic Calvert-Lewin and he’ll be a really potent option at Goodison Park.

Sam Allardyce loves players that can give him a little extra and having been at Atletico Madrid, Turan knows a thing or two about work rate. It’ll take a strong effort from the former England man to coax it out of him now he’s in his thirties, but it should still be within his makeup.

He could even be joining a mini-Turkish revolution, having seen fellow international compatriot Cenk Tosun already become a Toffee this January.

#2 Chicago Fire

If the stories are to be believed, this looks like the move that’s the most likely to come off.

The MLS used to be the trusted home of the semi-retired, but with the rise of money in China and the improvement of quality over in the States, it’s become much more of a competitive field. Turan might be one of the best players in the league in terms of ability but many recent acquisitions will tell you, it’s not as easy as it used to be.

Look at the most recent MLS Cup winners in Toronto FC, who have two internationals that could still put in a great shift in Europe in Sebastian Giovinco and Michael Bradley. In fact, he’ll join another legend who’s not quite lived up to the hype in Illinois in Bastian Schweinsteiger.

No doubt it’ll be a good paycheck and the chance to live in a fantastic city in a growing league, yet some will still question it. At this time of his career, with so many miles already on the clock, it totally makes sense to head to Chicago.

#1 Atletico Madrid

Or maybe we should run up the miles so high that he’d be on the scrap heap within a few more years.

A reunion with Diego Simeone might seem like a nightmare to some, given how much the Argentine asks of you, but look at all those that have left his stewardship in the past few years. Diego Costa, Filipe Luis, they all came back for another round of torture.

Even though some argued that Turan was delighted to leave that regime and finally allow his body to rest, coming back to a club he loves can be too much of a temptation. With a few big names looking for the door in the summer, it’s a great chance to join a team he knows and even have a good chance at being a starter.

It’s a little out of left-field and feels like more of a pipe dream, but you can never say never in the world of football.