arda güler
Real Madrid, 2023–
For several seasons, Real Madrid have pursued a policy of signing young and promising talents for the future. This was the case with Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, and more recently with Endrick Felipe, who remains at Palmeiras until the summer of 2024. The exciting young Turkish international Arda Güler is the latest player to add to this list.
Los Blancos paid €20m for the 18-year-old former Fenerbahçe player, snatching him away from Barcelona in the process. “There were many clubs that made offers, but as soon as Real Madrid appeared everything else lost value,” said Güler on the day of his presentation.
Far from the rumours he would be sent immediately on loan, Güler went straight into the first-team squad. Carlo Ancelotti, who personally spoke with Güler to help persuade him to sign, believes he can add quality to an already star-studded team.
Here, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed his game, how he has fitted in with teammates and systems, and where he needs to develop.
Technical analysis
Güler is predominantly left-footed, but he is also very good on his right. In possession, his creativity and attacking technical actions stand out. Chief among these are his simple, forward drives with the ball, and his quality when then striking it.
He can go past opponents on his left foot, using trickery without necessarily changing pace. This is something that he will have to polish in La Liga, where defenders are accomplished at holding up play without committing to the tackle. Just as Vinícius did when adapting to Spanish football, Güler will have to learn to beat his opponents when starting from a static position.
Güler offers a real threat when starting on the right wing. From there, he can drift inside and dribble, exploiting spaces in the opposition block with his direct approach (above). His desire to always drive forward is a strength, but as his game develops he will need to add more variety and nuance. An ability to pause and hold the ball, antagonising opponents, would also represent an asset.
Güler's ball-striking makes him a threat from pretty much anywhere in the final third, but particularly the inside right channel (below). He strikes the ball cleanly and precisely, often using his first touch to explode past his marker before getting a shot off on goal. His technique is such that he is equally comfortable striking a static ball or on the move. He has also demonstrated a great talent for finding the right shooting angles from distance.
Movements and systems
If we had to give Real Madrid's new young star a positional label, it would probably be that of a number 10 – but one who prefers to operate more from the right inside channel. In his admittedly short career at Fenerbahçe, he played mainly as a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation, or as a right winger in a 4-4-2. More occasionally, he played as one of the number eights in the 5-3-2.
Regardless of the system and his role, Güler showed himself as a player who enhances his teammates in a number of ways. His drives forward work to attract opposition defenders, in turn freeing up space for those around him to exploit. More directly, he has the ability to break lines with his passing in any area of the pitch. In the final third (below), this led to assists for the likes of Michy Batshuayi, Irfan Kahveci and the now-departed Enner Valencia.
For such a young player, Güler took on a big role at Fenerbahçe. He has the individual talent to create chances, but he also has the technical skills to contribute in other ways. He adopts an excellent body shape to be able to receive and move the ball quickly, even within crowded areas. His reading of the game is such that he can find the space to receive and attract opponents, thus setting up passing lanes to others.
From there, Güler has shown he can combine with his attacking teammates. At Fenerbahçe, Batshuayi and Kahveci (below), who mostly played either side of him in the attacking line of three behind the striker, were the main beneficiaries. Ahead of them, Valencia or João Pedro made supporting runs to enable one-twos or looked to attack any subsequent crosses or cutbacks.
Combinations
Güler's instinct for directness does sometimes lead him to miss opportunities to combine. On the flip side, however, his ability to drive past opponents can generate further opportunities to do so further up the pitch. This can be with a team's central forward, wide attackers or, depending on the systems employed by the head coach, the number eights.
At Real Madrid, his most interesting relationships could be with Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham. Both are players who can create inside spaces and defensive imbalances with their penetrative runs from the second line. This could be perfect for the young Turkish international, who can use his ball-carrying and striking ability to make the very most of these spaces.
Out of possession
Güler's greatest room for improvement is probably in the defensive aspect of the game. As they have done with other young players, Real Madrid have drawn up a plan to improve him physically. But improvement will also be required in his reading of the game at turnovers, whether his own or those of his teammates.
He is a player with good defensive instinct, but in his early days his defensive actions have often needed to be reinforced by a close teammate (below). He is a willing dueller in 1v1 situations, but for now he lacks the physical capacity to regularly steal the ball from direct opponents.
The more disorganised his team is, the more defensive fragility he shows. He is not yet particularly adept at holding up opposition attacks to give teammates time to offer defensive support, particularly in transition. This will surely develop as his game matures, however.
Positionally, Güler's tendency to drift into central areas when he starts on the right can be exploited by opponents using quick switches of play (below). These work to exploit the space in front of the full-back and can lead to attacking overloads against if one of the pivot players can't get across in time.
Again, this slight defensive weakness is the result of his youth, but also his naturally creative and offensive instinct. Ancelotti has the task of moulding him into an outstanding all-round player, just as he has done with Vinícius.
Attacking transition
In the possession phase, Güler's desire to move into central areas no matter which position he starts in can sometimes be an issue. He is good in tight spaces, but against opposition playing in a compact block his movements inside aren't always the best approach to take.
By contrast, his central positioning in the moments after an opposition turnover can offer his team a huge advantage. Here, his speed and ability on the ball, plus his reading of the game, means he can quickly activate dangerous counter-attacks on either flank (below). This is exactly where Real Madrid, especially with a player like Vinícius, have great offensive potential.
Now 23, Vinícius has made huge strides under Ancelotti. If the Italian coach can have a similar impact on the 18-year-old Güler, the Turk could become an important asset at Real Madrid for many years to come.
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