Arda Guler is taking the world of football by storm. He inspired Turkey to victory in their Euro 2024 opener against Georgia, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s record as the youngest player to score on their tournament debut in the process.However, when Guler returns to Madrid for pre-season in July, he will face an uphill battle to force his way into Carlo Ancelotti’s starting eleven, as the Italian coach is blessed with a host of world-class attackers. But he must find a role for Guler. The 19-year-old is simply too good to warm the bench, and there is no need to take a cautious approach with his development because he’s already proven he can perform under the brightest of spotlights.They agreed to a €30 million 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, fighting off arch-rivals Barcelona, Premier League duo Arsenal and Aston Villa, as well as German giants Borussia Dortmund.It also helped a lot that he 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.##NAJAVA_MECA_8173413##But the hype surrounding the so-called ‘Turkish Messi’ 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.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.Real Madrid’s Arda Guler has done all of this in La Liga this season in the very few minutes he’s had on the pitch. 💥🇹🇷pic.twitter.com/IcTdTxfSNN— LaLigaExtra (@LaLigaExtra) May 1, 2024 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 supremo 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.The question of who sits behind Mbappe and on the opposite wing is a complex one, and Guler’s inclusion may risk upsetting Ancelotti’s balance.Guler’s path to the starting line-up 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.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.ARDA GULER WHAT A GOALRECORD: 19 year old ” Arda Guler ” has broken Cristiano Ronaldo’s record from 2004 to become the 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐒𝐓 player to ever score on their Euro debut 😱🔥 pic.twitter.com/lr6XfiL3X8— Durgesh Shukla (@mydurgeshshukla) June 18, 2024 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.Jude Bellingham was quick to praise Arda Guler after the teenager’s POTM winning performance for Turkey 🔥🇹🇷The England midfielder called the 19-year-old ‘abi’ which translates to ‘brother’ in Turkish, a nickname he has at Real Madrid 🤝 pic.twitter.com/TWQJjGxt3Y— SPORTbible (@sportbible) June 19, 2024 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.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.”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.”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.pic.twitter.com/JXh5EPb6Ff— Arda Güler (@10ardaguler) June 18, 2024 ©goal.com
