Arda Turan a nice fit for all-conquering Barcelona

Barcelona's signing of Arda Turan from Atlético Madrid — which follows the acquisition of Sevilla's Aleix Vidal last month — is a clear statement that the treble winners are not ready to rest on their laurels and are determined to repeat the triumphs of last season.

The Turkish international, who has penned a five-year deal and will be eligible to play in January, was requested by Luis Enrique and it is easy to see why. The midfielder combines exceptional technical ability with hard work, having been schooled by the intense coaching methods of Diego Simeone in four glorious campaigns with the Rojiblancos. While at the Vicente Calderón, Arda won a Liga title, a Copa del Rey, the UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup.

Although Barcelona's playing philosophy differs greatly from Atlético's, the success of Enrique's first term in charge was as much down to the revival of their pressing game as it was the class of their star-studded front three: Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez.

Enrique's insistence that his players remain at peak fitness and are able to graft for 90 minutes is something he shares with Simeone, and that is why Arda should have little trouble fitting in at his new club. The former Galatasaray man's strike rate — 23 goals in all competitions for Atlético — also bodes well for Barcelona as opposition defences focus on cancelling out 'MSN'.

Simeone largely employed Arda on the right in a 4-4-2 formation, although the 28-year-old is far from a conventional winger. Istanbul-born Arda always sought to cut inside and support the strikers and should have little trouble adapting to Enrique's 4-3-3 system. He will compete for a place in the team with Andrés Iniesta and Ivan Rakitić once he is available for selection and could also provide cover in attack should Messi, Neymar or Suárez be injured.

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Arda sees little reason why he cannot operate in the same team as Iniesta and the three free-scoring forwards, saying: "Why can't the five of us play together? Here you will see that we can. And I hope we do." Arda is a long-time admirer of Iniesta, calling him his "idol". The respect is mutual, with the Spanish international describing the new arrival as "a great player with talent and spectacular quality".

Arda does not feel he is the successor to Xavi Hernández, who left the Blaugrana this summer to join Qatari outfit al-Sadd SC. Capped 79 times by his country, Arda is a vastly different player from the pass-master, with his game based on darting runs, dribbling skills and an ability to combine with the attack. If he can repeat his all-action performances for the Camp Nou club, there is every reason to believe he can help Barcelona maintain the domestic and European hegemony which Xavi was instrumental in beginning.