Arda Turan signing proves Barcelona remain the ultimate draw for the world's elite

COMMENT: The club are banned from registering new signings until January but that has not stopped some of football's top talents from agreeing to move to Camp Nou

By Rich Jolly

Remember this the next time a player moves to a new club because of his desire to play first team football. A player – and not just any player, but one of Europe’s most coveted attacking midfielders – has found new employers knowing he won't be able to play for six months.

Barcelona's transfer ban means Arda Turan will have to wait until January 2016 to wear the Blaugrana jersey after joining the club from Atletico Madrid in a €41 million deal. It is a strange state of affairs and one that leaves both the European champions and Fifa with questions to answer about the nature of their 'transfer ban' and its implications.

The only clarity provided is the proof of Barcelona’s pulling power. Arda could have stayed at Atletico or perhaps decamped to Chelsea or Manchester United.

He opted for Barcelona even though there is the possibility of an undignified return to Atletico later this month should Josep Maria Bartomeu lose the presidential election at Camp Nou and his successor not ratify the transfer.