Barcelona have asked permission to register summer signing Arda Turan to replace the injured Rafinha with immediate effect according to ESPN.

The reigning La Liga champions signed Turan on a £24 million transfer from Atletico Madrid over the summer but are unable to register the bearded winger until January 4 2016 due to the FIFA transfer ban currently in place.

Barcelona are allowed to sign players but are unable to register them until the turn of the year however, with Rafinha expected to be out for months with a long term injury after suffering a torn cruciate ligament there is a chance the Champions League title holders could replace him with Turan.

The La Liga giants have asked the Spanish football association (RFEF) and FIFA for Turan to replace Rafinha in the squad.

Speaking to Sport former Barcelona president Toni Freixa claimed that the club have already served their transfer ban and could ask for a permit under Article 123 of the Spanish Football Federation’s law book.

The rule states that a club can request for a player with a long-term injury to be replaced with a player who is unregistered.

“FIFA sanctioned Barcelona for two transfer windows, last winter and this summer, and they’ve since passed,” he told Sport.

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