Real Madrid has been trying to phase out midfield legends Toni Kroos and Luca Modric over the season; Modric more than Kroos. Modric has been coming from the bench more often than starting and that’s understandable. At 38 years of age, Modric is getting old and he won’t be with the club for long. Madrid has to start figuring out little by little how to play without him and in typical Madrid style; they seem to have found an heir for the Croatian in the young Turkish talent Arda Güler.
Real Madrid signed 19-year-old Güler from Fenerbahçe in July 2023 to a six-year contract after triggering his release clause with €20 million. Madrid paid more than the €17.5 million clause in the contract when Arda requested they pay extra to raise funds for his former club. Güler chose Real Madrid despite receiving interest from other top clubs around the world including Barcelona.
Due to multiple injuries earlier in the season, Güler finally made his debut for Madrid in a Copa del Rey match against Arandina in January 2024 which Madrid won 3-1. He made his La Liga debut against Las Palmas in January as well coming on as a substitute for Rodrygo in the 81st minute. He hasn’t had a lot of minutes on the pitch but for the little time he has had, he has been brilliant. He started getting more minutes recently after Real Madrid sealed their La Liga trophy and it’s starting to look like any time this kid is on the pitch he is scoring goals. He already has La Liga six goals in just 10 matches this season and he didn’t start all of them.
It’s understandably hard to break into a team featuring the likes of Kroos, Modric, and now Jude Bellingham but Arda may just be the perfect replacement for Modric. He plays primarily as an attacking midfielder but can also play on the wings. He is not likely to get much time on the wings though, with Vinicius and Rodrygo on the team.
At just 19 years of age, Güler has highlight reels that some older players can only dream of. He has not had enough time at Real Madrid to really prove himself and show his abilities but his time at Fenerbahçe is enough for anyone to see why Real Madrid bought him and why he attracted so much interest from big clubs. Güler is much like former Real Madrid and Arsenal player Mesut Özil in his style of play. The small player is a great dribbler and an excellent passer with the confidence of a veteran player who knows how to hit the ball and find the back of the net. He played briefly with Özil at Fenerbahçe after he moved from Arsenal and the former Germany international described Güler as being better than even him. The left-footed player has been dubbed by local Turkish media as the Turkish Messi for his left foot and his Messiesque dribbling ability. On top of that, he has immense set-piece ability as he has shown at Fenerbahçe. He is silky and graceful with the ball at his feet, being able to bypass opponents with great efficiency and create scoring chances for himself or his teammates. He was the star player at Fenerbahçe poised to succeed Ozil after he retired from football.
It’s inevitable that Modric and Toni Kroos will leave Madrid soon and they may have to change their style of play. Kroos has already announced his retirement at the end of the season so that leaves only Modric. Perhaps instead of using two Central Midfielders like with Kroos and Modric, they can play around an attacking Midfielder like Arda Güler; the way they played when Ozil was at the club. This setup would maximize Güler’s abilities and allow him to create chances and occasionally score goals just like Ozil. It’s going to be hard for Ancelotti to fit in all the talent he has on the team but we trust Ancelotti to find a way to incorporate the immense talent that Arda Güler has into the Madrid team.
Luka Modric is a beast of a player who is hard to replace on any team. He is still the only midfielder to win the Ballon d’Or in the last 15 years. His shoes will be hard to fill in this Real Madrid team for anyone but Arda Güler is showing that he fits the profile and may even surpass the Croatian. Güler is an undeniable talent who will become an important player in world football as his career progresses. Madrid has made an excellent signing with him and the whole football world can’t wait to see him realize his full potential. If Güler is to be Modric’s heir, then Real Madrid has done good business and picked well. What do you think of the young Turkish prodigy? How do you think he will perform next season?