Arda Turan wants to prove he can deal with the pressure of playing for Barcelona. Despite an unsuccessful debut season with the Spanish champions, the Turkish midfielder wants a chance to redeem himself and fight for his place in the starting lineup.
In an interview with The Guardian, player agent Ahmet Bulut denied his client is interested in leaving the Spanish champions after only playing 810 minutes and scoring two goals.
"The interest in Arda is normal but the rumours saying he is leaving Barcelona are false, he is happy at the club," Bulut stated.
The Turkish player spent the first six months of the season watching from the sidelines, since FIFA's transfer ban didn't allow Los Culés to register new players.
Turan signed a five year deal with the current La Liga holders in June last year, but he failed to earn a spot in the starting lineup due to a six-month hiatus. Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus had been pointed out as his possible destinations, but the Turkish ace wants to keep showing his skills at Camp Nou.
Bulut's words were backed up by Barcelona's president, Josep María Bartomeu. The Blaugrana exec revealed that neither the club nor coach Luis Enrique want the midfielder to leave.
"The coaching staff count on Arda Turan and we thank both him and Aleix Vidal for the patience they showed to go six months without being able to play," Bartomeu added.
Turan is currently enjoying some time off following his performance with Turkey in the UEFA Euro. The Ottoman team wasn't able to make it to the knockout stage after losing two of their three group games against Spain and Croatia.
