Arda Turan: Tottenham Closing in on Dazzling Turkish Golden Boy
According to reports in the Turkish press and quotes from the player’s agent, Tottenham are in negotiations to sign Galatasaray’s star man Arda Turan. The talented winger has been a long-term target for both Arsenal and Spurs in recent seasons but with Arsene Wenger’s interest waning, it would seem Harry Redknapp is at the head of the queue.
Turan’s agent Ahmet Bulut declared, “At the moment I have had no contact, unofficial or official from Arsenal or Arsene Wenger. Regarding Tottenham Hotspur there was a small enquiry regarding the player, but I have had no official contact or an official bid for the player.
“So, at the moment Arda (Turan) has two years left on his contract at Gala. And, we are waiting for an official bid for Arda from Tottenham. We will see.”
The player himself has often spoken of his dream of joining Liverpool but Roy Hodgson is not looking to strengthen his squad in the position Arda plays in so this looks a non-starter. Turan issued a come and get me plea to the Reds last season when he said, “Of course I want to play abroad but it is our board’s decision. As I always mention, Liverpool attracts me because of their tradition. In Europe, I am a Liverpool supporter, so if I go to play in Europe, I would like to play for them.
“My dream has always been to play for one of the top European clubs, but you shouldn’t make concrete plans in your life because sometimes these plans cannot be achieved. This is my dream, but for now I’m just working on my football.”
Despite his interest in moving to Anfield, it would seem Arda’s likeliest destination is White Hart Lane this summer. Harry Redknapp is looking to strengthen his squad with some top quality new arrivals as the club takes part in the Champions League for the first time. Spurs have plenty of quality on the flanks but with David Bentley likely to be sold, Arda could provide real competition for Aaron Lennon on the right as well as Gareth Bale and Luka Modric on the left. He is a very different type of player to those current Tottenham stars in so much that he is an out and out dribbler with the ability to beat full-backs at will.
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The player was widely expected to leave Galatasaray last summer with the club finishing a highly disappointing 5th in the Turkish league, 10 points behind champions Besiktas in 2008/09. However, a move didn’t materialise. A deal is likely to be done this summer after Galatasaray once again failed to win the Turkish title finishing 3rd, eleven points behind surprise winners Bursaspor. This disappointment has resulted in Arda Turan searching for a move to the Premier League with Tottenham ready to make their move.
An added bonus for Spurs would be the player’s versatility as he can play on either flank or even in a more central role. It’s no surprise that Tottenham are so interested with the golden boy of Turkish football as Harry Redknapp looks to add some more penetration and flair to his already strong outfit. Last season, Spurs dropped points at home as a result of away teams sitting deep and restricting the space for the likes of Lennon to exploit. However, Arda is a player that thrives on beating players even with little space so could be a key component in breaking teams down at White Hart Lane.
The 23-year-old Galatasaray midfielder enjoyed an excellent campaign individually last season even though the team ultimately struggled after scoring 7 goals in 29 league appearances (27 starts). He has scored 7 league goals in each of the last three seasons. The player would have liked to have left the club on a high but league failure last season means the captain won’t be doing so.
Since breaking into the first team he has scored an impressive 26 goals from 115 (107 starts) league appearances and has become a mainstay of the team that won the 2007/08 Turkish title. His match-winning performances in Turkey’s superb Euro 2008 displays also intensified the growing interest in the exciting winger as well as increased his price tag.
The player is expected to cost around £10m which may not be too much of a gamble for Tottenham if he can realise his amazing potential in England.
Arda has won 39 caps for his country (6 goals) despite his tender age after progressing from the U19 and U21 sides. The winger is both quick and two footed and has been likened to former Galatasaray legend Gheorghe Hagi in his home country, so should give you an idea of how highly he is rated. He has scored in two of his last three internationals against the Czech Republic and the USA.
If Arda does join Harry Redknapp’s team this summer then the amount of creative attacking talent at the Spurs disposal would be hugely. Arda fits the Tottenham bill in terms of creativity and technical ability but we will have to wait and see if they can indeed secure the golden boy of Turkish football.
So would you like to see this exciting young talent in the Premier League or do you feel he could flatter to deceive in the hurly burly pace of the English top flight? Let’s hear your views.
Tags: Arda Turan, Galatasaray, Tottenham, Turkey
July 7th, 2010 at 17:19
Would be a great signing and to keep Dan Levy happy he would be highly likely to increase in value.Could be one of the final pieces needed to prove the doubters wrong.
July 7th, 2010 at 18:05
I’ve always been a big fan of Arda. He didn’t have as good a season as this article seems to suggest, it was best described as ‘indifferent’, but he still scored his goals & he grew into his captain’s role. At 23 he is still quite young for a midfielder & is learning his trade but he has good experience for his age & under Harry he stands a good chance of pushing on. He definitely suits our footballing ideology here and if it isEuropean tradition he wants, he could do a lot worse than Spurs - you have to go back a bit but we have a far better European heritage than, say, Arsenal
July 7th, 2010 at 19:06
Liverpool aren’t looking to strengthen the left wing are we? I forgot what world class winger is there on the left? Riera and babel are being sold and jovanovic isn’t a left midfielder. According to reports spurs will sign cole which means no arda. I’ve also heard from a friend that he will sign for Liverpool next week, and the talk of spurs is just a throw so we can get him at a reasonable price.
July 7th, 2010 at 21:39
If spurs decide to buy arda and can buy him for 10m they shouldent even think bout it for one moment, he is as good us modric if not better. As a galatasaray fan i will be upset for losing are captian but i will be happy for arda because he is a great play that deserves to plan in the prem.
July 8th, 2010 at 08:33
Yes! Yes! perhaps with Santos thrown in with deal. So cost is about 5m? He would give penetration & definite option of using 1 lone striker. He appears to be a better fit/option than JC who’s wages are big stumbling block.
July 8th, 2010 at 10:06
Surely Harry can see the potential of this young player if only for his versatility.He can play in at least 3 positions as he does from time to time for his present club and the cost would,nt be excessive.I hope this one happens.This season is a decisive moment for the club and to be able to shake things up both tactically and in playing different names could be good for keeping the opposition guessing.
July 10th, 2010 at 15:00
apart frm being better than babel and riera, this guy clearly has the passion and desire to play for us…we shud really sign him…very talented and wud giv evrything for us…