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Real Madrid have signed Turkish sensation Arda Guler for a reported fee of €20 million ($21.7 million) from Fenerbahce. The 18-year-old has been compared to the likes of Lionel Messi and Mesut Ozil due to his incredible trickery and intelligence.
Real Madrid’s transfer policy has changed over the years. A decade ago, they signed Gareth Bale for a world-record fee. Before that, they signed Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaka, and Xabi Alonso in one window. However, President Florentino Perez has changed his plans and decided not to pursue the hottest players in the transfer market. Instead, they have gone for younger players in recent years.
After they broke the world record for Bale, the record was taken away by Manchester United (Paul Pogba) and Paris Saint Germain (Neymar), respectively. Now, Real Madrid have arguably the youngest squad spine in European football. Los Blancos have Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camawinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Guler occupying first-team positions. Guler has emerged onto the scene after his breakthrough campaign with Fenerbahce last year. With competition for places getting strong, let’s see how the 18-year-old fits into the Real Madrid plans.
Carlo Ancelotti is the man for youngsters
If there is any manager in world football that has a top record when it comes to handling youngsters, it is Carlo Ancelotti. When the Italian manager was at Everton, he established Dominic Calvert Lewin as one of the best strikers in the Premier League. At that time, the English striker was competing with Harry Kane to occupy the striker’s position in the international team.
After he moved to Real Madrid in 2021, Vinicius Jr. was raw and wasn’t considered the answer to Los Blancos’ frontline. However, he has established the Brazil International as one of the best wingers in the game. Just a year after his appointment, Vinicius scored the match-winning goal against Liverpool in the Champions League final.
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Hence, if you are Guler, you should know that you are going to be coached by the best manager. The 18-year-old has already seen flashes of his potential in Turkey. By being under Ancelotti, Real Madrid fans could have flashbacks of Ozil from 2010 to 2013.
Integration of Arda Guler in the Real Madrid lineup
Guler will replace Eden Hazard in the Real Madrid squad on the pre-season tour. The Turkish youngster will play on the right wing, which was Federico Valverde’s position for the last two years. As Luka Modric is getting old and won’t feature regularly for the 14-time European champions, we could see the Uruguay International return to one of the midfield positions.
Guler will reportedly play in the front three of himself, Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo. Moreover, Brahim Diaz and Joselu are in the firing line. The big question mark would be the number of goals by this frontline. None of them have played as first-choice strikers before or have had a great goalscoring season previously.
Vinicius Jr. enjoyed a fantastic partnership with Karim Benzema. However, the Frenchman has now left the club, which could impact his playing role. Moreover, the racial abuse he has received from the oppositional fans has also had a damning impact on his life. The Brazil International considered leaving the country this summer, but Ancelotti blocked the move.
With Marco Asensio also leaving the club this summer, there is a chance that Guler could have a decent amount of game time at Real Madrid. However, he will play in the positions that are already occupied. Hence, we could see him feature more in cup competitions than the La Liga or the Champions League games.
