Barcelona consider not giving Arda Turan a squad number after ruling out loan deal

Barcelona could decide not to give Arda Turan a squad number for the 2017-18 campaign as they look to offload the attacker on a permanent deal before the transfer window shuts, according to reports.

Catalan daily Sport says Turan, 30, is not in Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde's plans and has been told to find another club.

The midfielder joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid for €41m (£38m) in 2015 and is contracted to the Catalan club until 2020. He has been linked with Arsenal, Galatasaray, Inter Milan and several clubs in the Chinese Super League.

Barcelona are also planning to let other players leave the club, including Thomas Vermaelen, Andre Gomes, Sergi Samper and Rafinha, as part of efforts to trim a bloated squad.

Galatasaray have emerged as the prime contenders to sign Turan, although the Turkish club are reported to prefer taking him on loan. The 30-year-old played nearly 200 games for Galatasaray before moving to Atletico Madrid in 2011.

"Arda Turan is a true Galatasaray fan," Galatasaray president Dursun Ozbek told Hurriyet earlier in August. "He is a player I love.

"As a player, he has always represented us well and been an ambassador for the club. He's a true son of Galatasaray.

"Our biggest desire is for Arda to return to Galatasaray and end his career where it all started for him. We are working towards making this a reality."

However, Sport suggest that Barcelona will not entertain loan offers for the player as they believe a temporary move for a player who has already turned 30 will further devalue any future transfer.

Turan made 18 La Liga appearances for Barcelona last season, scoring three goals.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are still pushing to bring in Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool and Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund before the transfer window closes.

The Catalans have had three bids rejected by Liverpool for the 25-year-old Coutinho, with the latest offer worth up to £114m – an amount that would have made him the second-most expensive player in football history.

Barcelona want to sign the Brazilian midfielder as a replacement for Neymar, who joined Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record £198m move earlier this month.