Arda Guler is too good to warm the bench: Real Madrid must find a way to fit their ‘Turkish Messi’ into Kylian Mbappe-led attack next season

Madrid fought off a lot of competition to secure Guler’s signature. Arch-rivals Barcelona were also in the running, along with Premier League duo Arsenal and Aston Villa, as well as German giants Borussia Dortmund, but Los Blancos went the extra mile.

They agreed to a €30 million (£25m/$32m) deal with Fenerbahce for Guler in July last year, almost double his original release clause, and handed the youngster a bumper six-year contract. Madrid went all in on Guler, who had wowed audiences in his homeland during his breakthrough 2022-23 season, most notably producing a Man-of-the-Match display in Fenerbahce’s Turkish Cup final win over Istanbul Basaksehir.

Guler was very much a viral sensation, with clips of his dazzling footwork drawing thousands of views on social media, but he had the end product to match his flair, and Madrid recognised his immense potential. He’s never lacked for confidence either, and name-dropped Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, Zinedine Zidane and Guti when outlining his desire to become a club legend at his unveiling in the Spanish capital.

But the hype surrounding Guler soon turned into frustration. He suffered a knee injury on Madrid’s pre-season tour of the United States, which kicked off a nightmare run of fitness problems that significantly delayed his start to life in La Liga.

‘Important player for the future’

Guler didn’t make his debut for Madrid until January, in a Copa del Rey tie against Arandina. He was forced to alter his posture after damaging his meniscus, and persistent muscle issues followed, with Ancelotti happy to take a patient approach with his return to the pitch due to his team’s strong form on domestic and European fronts.

The teenager’s dream in Madrid was turning into a nightmare, and it would have been easy for him to seek a loan escape route. But Guler is made of stronger stuff. He kept his head down over the next four months with a view to proving his fitness and mental strength to Ancelotti, who has always insisted that Guler “will be an important player for the future”.

His hard work paid off on April 26, as Ancelotti handed him his first Liga start against Real Sociedad, and he marked the occasion with a goal. Guler went on to score another five goals in his next four appearances, including a stunning brace in a 4-4 draw against Villarreal. He would then become the first Turkish player to ever win the Champions League, albeit without seeing any action in Madrid’s final victory over Borussia Dortmund. Considering where he was at the turn of the year, it was a quite remarkable turnaround, and he left Madristas thirsty to see more.

The Turkey national team is a completely different environment for Guler, who is now learning what it means to a big fish in a small pond too, and unsurprisingly, he’s embracing the extra responsibility. The experience will make him any even better player, one fully capable of having a starring role at club level in 2024-25.

Make way for Mbappe

Unfortunately for Guler, competition for places in the Madrid squad will be higher than ever. That’s mainly due to the impending arrival of Kylian Mbappe, who will officially complete his long-awaited free transfer to Santiago Bernabeu after the European Championship.

Prising Mbappe away from Paris Saint-Germain has taken up a lot of resources and time, with club president Florentino Perez central to that pursuit, and making sure he settles into his new surroundings quickly will be Ancelotti’s No.1 priority ahead of the new campaign. Then there’s the small matter of deciding on where he should play.

There is a spot open at central striker, which former Stoke City man Joselu filled only sporadically last term. PSG regularly used Mbappe in the same role, and he will have no problem playing through the middle again, even though few would dispute the notion that he is at his most deadly when cutting in from the left.

Unless a crazy turn of events leads to Vinicius Jr’s exit later this summer, it’s unlikely Mbappe will have the option to play in his favoured position, so at least to start with, it seems the Frenchman will have to get used to playing upfront week in, week out. But the question of who sits behind Mbappe and on the opposite wing is a far more complex one, and Guler’s inclusion may risk upsetting Ancelotti’s balance.

‘Ball is in love with him’

Guler’s path to the starting XI has so far been blocked by Rodrygo, the second half of Madrid’s Brazilian strike duo who can’t quite match Vinicius for substance in the final third, but presses relentlessly and stretches the opposition with his intelligent runs in behind.

Rodrygo can operate as an orthodox right winger or more centrally in a split-striker capacity, as he did to great effect with Vinicius in the Champions League final. He’s a quick, intelligent dribbler who rarely underperforms for Ancelotti’s team, but there’s no escaping the fact his goals and assists numbers are still relatively modest.

Vinicius carries Madrid’s biggest threat, and Rodrygo is his link-man. Guler, though, can offer something different. The Turkish ace always wants the ball and drives forward at every opportunity, dancing round defenders with his low centre of gravity while always looking out for a killer pass. Guler also has ice in his veins in front of goal. He’s a little too reliant on his left foot, but it’s a real weapon, and he only needs the smallest opening to pick his spot.

Ancelotti has said “the ball is in love with him”, and it certainly looks that way whenever Guler is racing up the pitch. He has an elegance about him that cannot be taught. Rodrygo is a fine footballer in his own right, but Guler has a higher ceiling.

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  Working with Bellingham

  Targeting a wide berth on the right is the smartest route for Guler right now, not least because he also plays there for Turkey. But he’s versatile enough to operate anywhere across the frontline, including as a No.10 or a false nine, where he can really work his magic in the tightest spaces and open up defences.

  Jude Bellingham often played a supporting role alongside Vinicius and Rodrygo last season, and surprised the world with just how devastating he can be going forward. The former Dortmund star developed a reputation as a complete, all-round midfielder in Germany, but has evolved into more of a goal-scorer at the Bernabeu, and he sets the tone for Madrid with his hard work off the ball.

  For Guler to play more centrally, he would have to dislodge Bellingham, which is no easy feat. That said, the England man is also comfortable playing deeper and taking on more of a playmaker role, and Ancelotti might ask him do so more regularly now that Mbappe is on board.

  Bellingham is a huge fan of Guler, too. He described the youngster as a “phenomenon” after seeing him strut his stuff for the first time at the club’s Valdebebas training base, and will surely do whatever he can to help aid his development.

  Ancelotti now has the luxury of a number of different combinations in attack, but keeping Guler as little more than an impact substitute would make no sense. Although all eyes will be on Mbappe when La Liga resumes in August, Guler also has the potential to take Madrid to an even higher level, and potentially even make a similar impact to Bellingham now that he is fully fit again.

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  What’s next?

  Madrid don’t always get it right with young players, with Martin Odegaard and Takefusa Kubo the two most high-profile modern examples of wonderkids who never managed to make the grade at the Bernabeu.

  Both men were sent out on loan multiple times, and never enjoyed any solid period of continuity with Madrid as a result. There is no guarantee that things would have been different for Odegaard or Kubo if the club had taken a different tact, but they certainly won’t want to let another diamond slip from their grasp.

  Guler has once again been linked with a loan move away from Los Blancos, and a potential return to Fenerbahce has even been mooted since Jose Mourinho’s surprise appointment as the club’s new manager. Mourinho gave a refreshingly honest answer when quizzed on Guler, though, as he told reporters: “If he loves the club where he grew up and wants to come, for a free transfer, and if Real Madrid pays him 75 percent of his salary, we wouldn’t say no.”

  AC Milan have also been linked with Guler, and it’s easy to imagine him wreaking havoc in Serie A, but there is no reason for him to entertain any temporary deal, not after being given a vote of confidence by Ancelotti. “He’s battled, he’s fought. He’s staying next year, there’s no doubt about it,” the Madrid boss said in April. “He is very young. Little by little he will have his role.”

  Guler’s job now is to make it impossible for Ancelotti to leave him out of the Madrid team. Taking Turkey into the latter stages of the Euros would help his cause, and Vincenzo Montella’s side will have a chance against any opposition purely due to his presence alone.

  The Bernabeu could quickly become Guler’s playground, all Madrid have to do is let him run free. Guler’s first act has been impressive, but the second promises to be box-office.

  Source Goal.com