Barcelona Transfer News: Latest on Arda Turan, Nolito Talks Blaugrana Rumours

Former Barcelona director Toni Freixa maintains the Blaugrana have every right to register midfielder Arda Turan before the January transfer window, while reported transfer target Nolito is doing his best to ignore the constant rumours linking him with a move back to the Catalans.  

Speaking to Cadena Cope (h/t Sport), Freixa insists FIFA have no jurisdiction when it comes to registering players, and with Barcelona's transfer ban ending at the conclusion of the summer transfer window, they should be free to register Turan.

FIFA reportedly blocked an attempt from Barcelona to register the former Atletico Madrid star in the wake of the injury to Rafinha, per Sport (h/t the Daily Mirror's Ed Malyon), and Freixa doesn't understand why the club hasn't tried harder, per Cadena Cope:

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I don't think it is anything for FIFA to complaing about, because they don't have any jurisdiction in this case. It is as simple as starting proceedings with the LFP [to register Turan] and getting a medical tribunal to rule if Rafinha's injury is 'long-term' or not.

They've not done this and I don't understand it. As of now, Barcelona should go to the Spanish Ferderation to get the license and if not, then to the Spanish Sports Council, because Miguel Cardenal has already said he would assist Barça. There's no need to wait for FIFA or to go to the CAS, who will not resolve it before January.

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Spanish news agency EFE (h/t ESPN FC) believes the Blaugrana are set to appeal FIFA's decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Meanwhile, Celta Vigo star forward Nolito, whom many see as a possible short-term replacement for Rafinha and a future depth option for the Blaugrana, continues to do his best not to get swept away in the transfer hysteria.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the upcoming clash with Villarreal, he touched on his reaction to seeing yet another front cover linking him with the Blaugrana, but he maintains he's focused on the present, not the future, per EFE (via Sport):

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I am relaxed and helping Celta as much as I can. I have disconnected from everything they say about me. I always try to be happy and relaxed. So, in this respect, I am trying to be the same [as always].

I haven't felt the need to call my family after seeing the front cover. I saw it at breakfast, but, like I said, I try to stay disconnected and focus on my team. 

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The link to Nolito and Barcelona's urgency to get Turan on the pitch can both be linked to Rafinha's knee injury, which will see him miss at least six months, per Sport. As a result, the Blaugrana are suddenly short on attacking options, with Lionel Messi also currently unavailable for selection.

The defending La Liga champions have lost two of their last three domestic matches and didn't look particularly threatening in their Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen, either. Munir El Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez, the two youngsters who have seen their minutes rise due to the injuries, have yet to fully grasp their chances to impress.

Manager Luis Enrique could do with another experienced, veteran forward or attacking midfielder to insert into the squad, and the club needs more depth in the attacking third to avoid similar situations in the future.

Turan will help in that regard, as he's already owned by the club and will be eligible to play in January, if the current situation doesn't change. Most analysts and fans expect Nolito to join the club in January as well, with Enrique reportedly interested in his services, per La Liga blogger Rafael Hernandez:

The 28-year-old is a different player from Turan, who does his best work as an attacking midfielder. Nolito is a pure forward capable of playing out wide or through the centre, and he'll remind fans of super-sub Pedro, who left the club for Chelsea during the summer.

One could argue Barcelona don't really need Nolito once Turan is eligible to play and Messi returns to the starting XI, but the Celta Vigo man would be a superb depth option and a powerful weapon to bring off of the bench late in matches. As shared by OptaJose, he truly is a huge threat in the attacking third:

With Nolito and Rafinha ready to make an impact off of the bench, Munir and Sandro would have all of the time in the world to continue their development without the pressure of having to help the club win immediately.

A January move seems likely, although that won't help the Blaugrana with their current injury problems. Expect the push to register Turan to continue for at least several more weeks, unless FIFA budges and allows Barcelona to go ahead with their plans.

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