Confusion over Arda Turan future at Barcelona as agent denies loan agreement with Galatasaray

Arda Turan's agent has denied that his client is set to complete a loan move from Barcelona to Galatasaray for the next two campaigns.

Catalan Radio Station Rac 1 reported on Thursday night that the two clubs have already reached an agreement for the 30-year-old midfielder to finalise the move before the transfer window closes in Turkey on Friday (8 September).

Turan scored 13 goals in 30 appearances for Barcelona last season but he has being deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Ernesto Valverde.

The La Liga giants have thus been trying to get rid of him since the beginning of the summer with hopes to recoup part of the €34m (£31.1m, $40.1m) plus-add-ons investment they made in luring him from Atletico Madrid two years ago.

Arsenal, Inter Milan and some Chinese clubs were said to be interested in his services but a return to Galatarasay has been seen as the most likely option since earlier in August club president Dursun Ozbek admitted that they would welcome Turan back at the Türk Telekom Stadium.

"Arda supports Galatasaray, he is very fond of the club, Arda is going to serve this club again," Ozbek said after Turan impressed in his childhood side from 2004 to 2011. "The only option for him to play in Turkey is here, we want Arda to retire at Galatasaray. We are working to sort it out, the conditions of the transfer."

However, Turan put the deal under scrutiny earlier this week after claiming that he wanted instead to continue at Barcelona.

"I'm staying. I'm very happy here and I have a contract for another three years," Turan said to the Turkish media. "Galatasaray is my home but I know they don't want me now [due to the fans]. I don't want to harm the team."

But the saga looked to be set for a new U-turn after on Thursday night (7 September) Rac 1 reported that Turan was ready to return to his former side on a two-season-long loan.

The prestigious Catalan radio station assured that the agreement between the clubs was done and would be completed on the Turkish deadline day.

However, Turan's agent has now added more confusion to the saga after reiterating that the player is going nowhere. "Turan is still in Barcelona. The information that comes from Spain is false," Ahmet Bulut said as quoted by Sport.

Sport doesn't rule out a new turnaround before the transfer window closes as Turan is well aware that his playing time at Barcelona will be limited.

Nevertheless, the former Atletico Madrid star is yet to play a single minute under Valverde in the first four games of the 2017-2018 campaign, having even being left out of the squad entirely during the defeats to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup and in the 2-0 victory over Alaves.

Barcelona will be expecting to change Turan's mind in the coming hours as the final decision will have to be made before the transfer window closes in Turkey today.