Backheel Breakfast: Barcelona are kind of a mess

Their presidential race is turning a bit nasty.

By Kim McCauley@lgbtqfc Jul 7, 2015, 8:31am EDT

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Barcelona can't register new players and they have a presidential election in two weeks, but they're still signing people. Why not, right? They announced on Tuesday that Arda Turan would be joining the club. Luis Enrique requested the player and Barca's scouting staff agreed that he'd be a good pickup, so the board approved it -- with a catch.

If a new president is elected on July 20 and wants to cancel the transfer, they can send him back to Atleti and get most of the fee back. Barca would just have to pay them €3.4m for jerking them around.

Despite the send-back clause and the fact that the manager requested the player, presidential candidate Joan Laporta is pretty annoyed by the deal.

"It's something improper. If he thought they had to sign Arda, he should have done it before resigning. It's out of order, this sense of urgency ... and the only explanation is that it favors the candidature of Bartomeu."

The Blaugranes will be counting the days until the 20th, when the drama will finally end. Hopefully.

In the news

Andrea Pirlo is NYCFC's third designated player. (NYCFC)

Sevilla are set to buy Adil Rami from Milan. (Sevilla)

FIFA's ethics committee has banned the chief inspector for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids for seven years. (Guardian)

Blackpool fans are trying to buy the club from the Oystons. (BBC)

Alexis Sanchez is going to rest for a while after Copa America. (Telegraph)

You should be reading

Greg Howard on the greatness of Carli Lloyd. (Deadspin)

Emilia Bona on what England can learn from how the U.S. treats women's soccer. (Vice)

Swiss Rambler on Lyon's finances. (Swiss Ramble)

Fun with transfer rumors

The section in which nothing should be taken seriously. It's rumor season, so this section will be expanded, and as the summer rolls on, it will probably be bigger than the actual news section.

Milan, always intent on embarrassing themselves, are chasing Ilkay Gundogan. (Football Italia)

Man City want to lock up Raheem Sterling this week. (Star)

Christian Benteke is going to tell Aston Villa he wants to leave. (Guardian)

West Ham keep rejecting lowball bids for Stewart Downing. (Mail)

Newcastle want center back Joel Matip. (Newcastle Chronicle)

Everton are after Juventus' Angelo Ogbonna. (Echo)

Spurs look like they're beating Southampton to Toby Alderweireld. (Sky)