Arda Turan Signing Is An Act Of Disloyalty – Benedito

Barcelona presidential hopeful Agusti Benedito has branded the signing of Arda Turan as a “huge problem and also an act of disloyalty” for the club.

The midfielder sealed a €41 million (£29m) transfer to the European champions on Monday despite the club currently being without an elected board, with elections due to take place on July 18.

Arda’s transfer contains a clause which would allow the incoming Barca president to veto the move and return him to Atletico Madrid for a reduced sum.

And Benedito has slammed the decision to splash out on a player who cannot be formally registered by the club until the expiry of the transfer ban in January, placing the blame squarely at the feet of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

“They’ve left us with a huge problem,” he said to reporters. “A signing that we can’t use until six months from now because, and we mustn’t forget this, we are under sanction from Fifa because of that person [Bartomeu] .

“He’s going to pay a big price for this disrespect towards the members. He is crossing the line.”

Benedito, who confirmed that he would cancel the transfer if elected, added: “I spoke to [acting president Ramon Adell] and told him that signing Arda is an act of disloyalty, an attack on the club’s democratic spirit.”