Barcelona have reportedly received a £26million bid from Arsenal to seal the transfer of Turkish midfielder Arda Turan after long-standing interest in the player.
The 30-year-old was reported as agreeing personal terms with the Gunners earlier this summer, though the club had yet to meet his asking price at the Nou Camp.
Turan’s agent, however, moved to deny these rumours, but that has not stopped the speculation coming back with reports today that they’re ready to pay up for him.
‘Arda is not going anywhere. Barcelona’s directors are happy with him,’ Turan’s agent Ahmet Bulut said earlier this month.
However, Marca claim Arsenal have now come back with a more suitable offer to Barca, who have yet to really find a regular place for the former Atletico Madrid man in their starting XI.
The report adds that the player’s representatives have been instructed to consider offers that may come his way this summer.
Turan joined the Catalan giants last season but did not play for his first six months at the club due to a transfer ban preventing them from registering him in their squad.
It remains to be seen if Turan will walk away from Barcelona so quickly, but Arsenal appear to be keen to land some quality attacking players this summer amid fears over Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
The pair have just a year to run on their current contracts and look nowhere closer to signing, with Arsene Wenger also apparently targeting Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette to help persuade them to stay.
Riyad Mahrez has also been linked alongside Turan as an option in attacking midfield, though the pair look ever more likely to replace Sanchez and Ozil at this point, rather than play alongside them.
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