Tottenham Hotspur could reignite their interest in Real Madrid’s young sensation Arda Guler after the player’s challenging start to the season. The 19-year-old Turkish talent, who made a move from Fenerbahce to Madrid last year, has been struggling for game time at the Spanish club.
Despite a delayed debut due to injuries, Guler finished his first season impressively, netting six goals in just 10 league appearances and clocking up 373 minutes on the pitch. His prowess was on display at Euro 2024, where he scored a remarkable goal against Georgia, helping Turkey reach the quarter-finals.
Spurs had shown an interest in the midfielder earlier this year, but talks of a transfer quickly dissipated. Now, following comments from one Turkish pundit, it appears that Guler is discontent with his situation at Madrid, particularly after a lacklustre international break.
“Arda has shown rustiness in his performance. That’s natural,” Mustafa Denzil told HT Spor after Turkey’s draw with Wales.
“Arda no longer comes back from Real Madrid with high morale as he used to. He is not experiencing psychological happiness there. We know that he has had few minutes and few opportunities, but his rivals in the dressing room have increased their performances.”
This development could potentially open the door for Tottenham to make a move for the promising youngster, reports Football London. Guler has found himself starting only three times in 12 appearances this season for Madrid, who trail behind Barcelona by six points in the league standings.
Denzil commented on the situation, noting that manager Carlo Ancelotti seemed more inclined to give Guler game time last season when Madrid were on track for a La Liga and Champions League double.
“It doesn’t matter. In terms of score and results, it’s worse. The team’s performance has dropped,” Denzil said. “When the team’s performance was higher, he played more; when the team is doing worse, he gets less playing time, and that has a significant negative impact.”
Even in Turkey’s Nations League campaign, Guler has been substituted in four out of five matches, including in the dying moments against Wales. With Turkey aiming to top their group with a win over Montenegro on Tuesday, manager Vincenzo Montella faced questions about his decision to substitute the Real Madrid prodigy.
“Getting Arda Güler off the pitch is a really difficult task because you would never want to take him off,” Montella said. “He is a talented player and a fast player, but he has not played continuously for a long time. I was convinced that he would not be able to continue due to physical problems.”
Meanwhile, Ancelotti seems uninterested in any offers for Guler, firmly stating in April: “Arda is going to be a very important player for us in the future, and there is no doubt that he will stay here next year.”
