4 Jan 2013

Boss reacts to rumours re €12m star who said: 'I want to play at LFC'. Pursue?

In December, Ahmed Bulut, the Agent of Atletico Madrid winger Arda Turan, confirmed that the 25-year old plans to leave Spain in the summer to have a 'different experience' in another league. This is potentially good news for Liverpool, who've been tracking the Turk for a while, but according to Madrid coach Diego Simeone, Turan is going nowhere.

In a press conference yesterday, Reporters quizzed Simeone on Turan's future, and the Argentinean boss gave the following emphatic reply:

"Arda isn’t going, definitely.

"He has a contract with the club, he’s ours, he’s an extremely important player for the squad and he demonstrates it when he has to.

"Arda is one of the best players we have and that he gives his all in every game".


Earlier in December, Turan's agent told Turkish television channel TRT:

"Arda wants to play for another club, to live a different experience. We are working now to make it happen. Atletico know what our intention is. If all goes well, Arda will leave the Madrid club at the end of this season."

In 2009, Rafa Benitez was linked with a €10m move for Turan, a self-confessed Liverpool fan, but the tricky winger ended up moving to Atletico Madrid.

In October, the club sent an 'observer' to watch Turan in Turkey's World Cup qualifier with Romania.

Turan - who cost Madrid €12m - has made it clear several times in the past that he wants to join Liverpool. At the time of Benitez's pursuit in 2009, he said:

"I most want to play at Liverpool because of the culture of the club and the fans"

A year later, he reiterated his Anfield preference:

"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".

A couple of months ago, Nuri Sahin posted a picture on his Twitter account of Turan in a Liverpool shirt, so perhaps the Reds midfielder will try and persuade his countryman to come to Anfield?

Having said that, Turan's recent injury history is a concern; in the last 15 months, he's suffered three separate incidents, and the last thing Liverpool need right now is to buy more injury-prone players.

Worth a bid?



Jaimie Kanwar


22 comments:

  1. More media fluff,keep looking boys.

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  2. It's a pity we (probably) missed out on Feghouli who is more versatile- am who can play on flank, a winger who is only that is not something we need(as much).

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  3. And when does his contract expire?

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  4. No, too injury prone. We would be better off looking for a creative / attacking midfield player. Ince seems the likely purchase for the wing berth. 

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  5. Would rather make a play for holtby. Turan would have been a good move 4-5 years ago but unfortunately now he is damaged goods.

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  6. @Jamie, sorry for being out of context here but is it possible you could have a topic on the whole sturridge and suarez positioning in the team. With what Rodgers stated about it, i am just dyeing to get your take and other fans and their responses on the matter.

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  7. I remember reading back when we were first linked with him that he regularly went to watch Gala youth team and generally took an interest in the club. I found this to be very unlike most other footballers and have had a great respect for him since then. 

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  8. Hi Raymond - As it happens, I've already written something about that very subject, and I'll post it around 5.30 this evening. Cheers.

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  9. Jaimie, why didn't you delete racists comment(S) from that Rafa worshiper?
    Political corectness is bull, but that was racism, plane and simple.Asked on that post, but you didn't catch my question...

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  10. Damn, I won't be here at the time...

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  11. I've been a huge admire of Arda since his Gala days and was gutted we missed out on him on the first time. I understand the injury problems, but look at Agger. He was injury prone for a while but we've got him healthy and he's been one of our best players so far this season. But at the same time there's Carrol, Kewell, etc who were injury prone so I get the hesitation. The way BR is talking it seems like there's gonna be only one more signing and I think its Ince. But when you compare the two, Arda is playing in the spanish top flight for a club in 2nd position. Ince has played in the championship and done well for 6months.  Ince is such a huge gamble with his lack of experience and we just look like idiots paying that money for a guy we gave away at the begining on the season. Arda's value has dropped due to the past injuries which means his price wouldnt be more than 6mil (ince's price). I say go for Arda if he's available. Big name, big talent, and someone in the mould of a mata or silva that can make something out of nothing. Plus, the last two imports from Athletico (torres and maxi) worked out pretty well :)

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  12. Well I don't think that Sahin will be in any rush to urge anybody to join us considering the way Rodgers has treated him, in terms of playing time and position. 

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  13.  i totally agree with you here, i have also been a huge admirer of this guy for a long time, we need someone who will actually run at defenders, keep hold of the ball, turn, look forward and hold it up with a defender on his shoulder, this guy also still has plenty of years in him and can be a real game changer. I would pick this guy any day ahead of sturridge, and he is a liverpool fan!

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  14. i think that Turan is a flair player much in the Luis Garcia mould. Would be both fun and painful to watch intermittently. That being said he possesses a trickery that I think would greatly complement Suarez' game. At 25 however, and in the position he plays, if we don't get him in the next couple of years I don't see much point in bothering at all. 

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  15. Considering our tighter budget, we can't afford an injury prone player. That said, Glen Driscoll and his cohort seem to be doing an excellent job of keeping the players fit enough to play, so maybe they could do the same for Turan.

    I think he is a perennial fan favourite when it comes to potential transfer targets and I myself would love to see him at the club but right now (on balance) we can't afford to punt £12mil on him.

    I think a problem we're going to have at Liverpool now is whilst more players will bring greater depth, we're going to have a number of players in each position who are of similar quality. For the front 3 we'll have Suarez who is excellent but then the other two places will be fought between Sturridge, Borini, Downing, Sterling, Suso, probably Ince and maybe even Gameiro if reports are to be believed. They're all good options but, barring an excellent adaptation to Rodger's vision, they are all works in progress (Downing is in theory a finished product, and in his last few games has certainly looked it, but I'm not holding my breath on him maintaining it- he squandered the goodwill I had toward him last season against United).

    At least Turan would be a clear step up.

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  16. what is your point jaimie? do you want to see him at our club or not,sat on a massive fence as usual i think (imo)

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  17. Sturridge is already at the club so there's not much we can do there. But it would def. pick him before ince purely on experience and chances of doing well in the prem. I'm also really confused as to why we haven't tried to go for a DM. If lucas goes down again or gets tired, we are back to square one imo because without that protection our defense looks unbelievable poor as we say earlier in the season when he was out. A DM needs to be the next buy

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  18. According to the Premier League site, Holtby has gone to Spurs

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  19. I don't think we need both Ince and Turan! Only one will do, but if both are LFC supporters then I'm sure most fans will agree with me that Stuart Downing can be sold to make room, lol!

    Joe Cole has gone,

    2 Out, 2 In... The books are balanced, The Reds are stronger!!!

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  20. the simple fact is we have no money, the owners are not ready to back BR emphatically until the summer and we will have to sell before we can buy. Rodgers has said only one more player might be coming in. i have a feeling it will Nicolas Isimat-Mirin with Seb Coates possibly leaving. I don't think we can afford Ince or anyone else in this transfer window. I hope i am proved wrong as we need a few more players if we are to make a proper push for 4th spot in this second half of the season

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