Arda Turan will not be loaned out, Barcelona coach confirms
Barcelona will not loan out 41 million euros ($44.4m) signing Arda Turan, according to head coach Luis Enrique.
There have been suggestions - including by newly-elected president Josep Maria Bartomeu - that the Catalans could allow the versatile Turkish attacker to spend the first five months of 2015-16 at another club.
This is due to Barca's FIFA-imposed transfer ban for 2015, which does not prevent Barca from signing players but forbids them from fielding new arrivals until the next calendar year.
However, Luis Enrique insists he wants Arda and Aleix Vidal - who have joined from Atletico Madrid and Sevilla respectively this summer - to work with the squad for the rest of the year, despite the prospect of hampering their match-fitness.
"They cannot play until January and that does not favor us, but I want the new transfers around until then," the coach said at a pre-season press conference in Los Angeles, USA.
"It is not being contemplated nor will it be contemplated to loan out Arda Turan."
Luis Enrique also explained the absence of Copa America finalist Lionel Messi and lamented the financial necessity to travel the world in pre-season.
"Messi is not in the US because he needs a vacation," he added. "His energy might seem eternal, but he needs a rest sometimes.
"I prefer not to tour, there are more problems than positives. It's a pleasure to come to countries such as the US but there are aspects such as jet lag which aren't ideal.
"We could be doing the same training sessions at home. Then again, it's nice to take part in friendly competitions and we'll try to prepare in training with these games in mind."
Having already won the Champions League, La Liga and the Copa del Rey in 2015, Luis Enrique wants to complete the sextet by winning the Supercopa, Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup before the new year.
"I do not question whether it'll be a quiet season, I am simply challenged to make it an historic season," he continued. "To begin with, I want three more trophies this year."
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