According to reports in the Turkish press and quotes from the player’s agent, Tottenham have opened talks 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.
However, Spurs are not the only top Premier League club thought to be tracking the star as Roy Hodgson has identified the Flying winger as a priority signing for Liverpool and the player himself has often spoke of his desire to move to Anfield.
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. 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, White Hart Lane may be a more likely move this summer with Spurs ready to spend. However, Hodgson is a keen admirer and knows Liverpool need more flair on the flanks and may invest in the flying Turk once Javier Mascherano is sold to either Inter Milan or Barcelona.
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 when he returns to fitness, 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. Liverpool also need someone with the ability to beat defenders as the likes of Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez are not that type of player. Hodgson is eyeing the Turk to provide the inspiration that Damien Duff provided in a similar manner for his Fulham team last season.
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 and now Liverpool ready to make their move.
An added bonus for Spurs and Liverpool 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. A lot may depend on Joe Cole who is likely to join either Tottenham or Arsenal. If he joins Redknapp then the North Londoners are likely to drop their interest leaving Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson with a clear run at him.
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 like Joe Cole 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 Reds also struggled to break teams down away from home and Hodgson sees Arda as the man to provide Liverpool with a real cutting edge which would allow the likes of Steven Gerrard far more space to exploit.
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 or Liverpool 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. Likewise Liverpool would finally have a player in their ranks who can beat defenders with trickery rather than pure pace and power and would more than make up for the departure of Yossi Benayoun. We will have to wait and see if either of these two English giants can indeed secure the golden boy of Turkish football.
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