The signing of young Turkish player Arda Guler has fueled the excitement levels of Real Madrid fans, not only because they beat Barcelona to secure his signature, but due to his abundant talent.
But who is this 18-year-old that Real Madrid has signed for a six-year deal at the Bernabéu?
Early days
After spending five years in the academy of Gençlerbirliği, his hometown club in Ankara, Guler was picked up by Fenerbahçe, one of the giants of Turkish football.
The attacking midfielder made his debut in August 2021, at the tender age of 16, in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League against HJK Helsinki. In that same month, he provided an assist in his debut match in the Turkish Süper Lig.
Throughout his first season in the Fenerbahçe first team, he made 16 appearances and scored three goals.
Handling the pressure
Last year, Guler’s impressive debut season earned him the No.10 shirt at Fenerbahçe.
The shirt was previously worn by Mesut Özil, one of his heroes, and a true Fenerbahçe legend, Alex de Sousa, who captained the team from 2004 to 2012 while residing on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.
The weight of the number and the high expectations did not derail Güler, who played 35 matches last season and doubled his goal tally. He played an instrumental role as Fenerbahçe finished second and won the Turkish Cup, where young Arda was named Man of the Match in the final.
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👕 @10ardaguler 👕#WelcomeArda pic.twitter.com/SUBjH5w0aU
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) July 7, 2023
International career
After leaving a mark with the Under-21 team, Guler made his debut for the Turkish senior team in a 2-1 win against Czech Republic in November 2022.
With four caps to his name, he recently scored his first international goal, securing a 2-0 victory over Wales and helping Turkey take the lead in their Euro 2024 qualifying group. After Turkey’s disappointing performance as a dark horse in Euro 2020 and their failure to qualify for the World Cup, Güler is rekindling the dreams of Turkish fans.
The “Turkish Messi”
Real Madrid fans may need to find a new nickname for their young talent, but the “Turkish Messi” suits Güler more than any other player before him.
He is an attacker with the ability to play centrally or cut in from wide positions, displaying exceptional creativity. He possesses remarkable speed, dribbling skills, and expertise in set pieces. The similarities to the current Florida resident are evident.
Real Madrid pays a premium
Although Fenerbahçe had set a release clause of €17.5m in Guler’s contract last year, Real Madrid signed him for €20m.
Some suggest that this was simply a formality to fulfill GençlerbirliÄŸi’s sell-on fee. However, with not only Barcelona, but also reportedly Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Newcastle United, and other clubs showing interest, it may have been a wise decision for Real Madrid to pay more and avoid a bidding war this summer.