Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that his club are in discussions over a possible deal for Fenerbahce teenager Arda Guler during this summer's transfer window.
The 18-year-old's future is currently the subject of much speculation, with a number of clubs, including Real Madrid, believed to be keen to sign him during the current market.
Guler is thought to have an €18m (£15.5m) release clause in his current deal at Fenerbahce, which is expected to lead to him leaving the Turkish giants this summer.
Laporta has revealed that the club's new sporting director Deco was in Istanbul on Thursday in an attempt to "close the deal" for the attacker.
"Today Deco was in Istanbul. La Liga allows us to make operations for next season without impacting on Fair Play. Arda Guler is a very talented player and we are trying to close the deal," Laporta told TV3.
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Guler, who came though the youth system at Fenerbahce, has scored nine goals and registered 12 assists in 51 appearances for Fenerbahce in all competitions.
The bulk of the teenager's appearances came during the 2022-23 campaign, featuring on 35 occasions in all competitions, scoring six goals and contributing seven assists.
Laporta also claimed during the same interview that Lionel Messi wanted to return to Barcelona this summer, with the Argentine heavily linked with a move back to Camp Nou.
However, the forward ultimately decided to make the move to MLS outfit Inter Miami on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
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"Messi wanted to return to Barca. He had a very tough period in Paris. His father told me he didn't want to have this pressure. We, the Cules, respect him. May he do very well in Miami," he added.
"Barca will always be his home. I met with them to make a tribute. The opening day of the Spotify Camp Nou would be an excellent date."
Meanwhile, when asked about Messi's exit on a free transfer in 2021, Laporta said: "These are decisions that you have to make as president, Barca is above all, but you also have a footballing spirit and I have known it since I was a child. I had to put the institution above."
Barcelona have already confirmed the arrival of Ilkay Gundogan this summer, with the midfielder arriving on a free transfer from Manchester City.
The Catalan outfit are expected to sign at least one more midfielder in the current market, and a recent report claimed that Bayern Munich's Marcel Sabitzer has been offered to the club.
Matt Law
