Barcelona have recently confirmed on their official website that Miralem Pjanic has sealed a loan move to Besiktas. It has been revealed that the Bosnia-Herzegovina international wanted more playing time away from Barca and will now spend the remainder of this campaign on loan in Turkey.
Pjanic’s Recent Downfall At The Nou Camp
Pjanic had a forgettable season in Spanish football recently as he struggled to prove his worth at the Nou Camp. Barca boss Ronald Koeman clearly didn’t fancy playing him often as he ended up making 30 appearances for the Catalan side in the previous campaign, without scoring a goal or picking up an assist in various competitions.
The 31-year-old struggled to be consistent because most of his playing time came as a substitute which explains why he averaged 0.7 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 0.3 clearances, 0.8 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per game in the previous La Liga campaign. However, he was excellent with his ball distribution after completing 91.4% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Pjanic was in dire need of a change of scenery this summer, so a loan move to Besiktas could help him get his career back on track. At 31, the 102-time the Bosnia-Herzegovina international has only got a handful of years left in him to play at a high level which is why he had to ensure regular playing time this season.
Pjanic Seals Loan Move To Besiktas: Good Move For Everyone Involved?
Pjanic has got a wealth of experience under his belt and can create some good chances for others around him when he is playing well on the field. He has got a wide range of passes in his locker and can distribute the ball very accurately from midfield.
However, his goals and assists numbers have dried up over the past 12 months which could be why Koeman decided to freeze him out of his squad. Plus, the former Juventus midfielder can sometimes be too slow to react to the danger as he lacks the pace to cover a lot of ground in both halves.
Pjanic’s loan move to Turkey could turn out to be a good move for everyone involved as the veteran midfielder will definitely enjoy getting more playing opportunities in Turkish football this season. Barca would hope that the Bosnia-Herzegovina international can find some form and return as a better version of himself at the end of this campaign. A decent loan spell could even help the Catalans secure a sizable fee for Pjanic’s services if they decide to sell him permanently next summer.
