Arda Guler’s first 16 months as a Real Madrid player have not been easy, to say the least. He has yet to command a consistent run of starts for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, and despite a hectic schedule so far this season for Los Blancos, he has only been named in the starting line-up on three occasions.
In Türkiye, frustrations are heightened about the situation of their standout performer for the national team. According to Fanatik’s Davran Cagri (via Marca), Guler has suffered because of the quality that surrounds him at Real Madrid.
“There is almost no team that has the quality of a squad like Real Madrid, neither at national team level nor at club level. A player who doesn’t play a lot of time at Real Madrid can easily become a key player in the national team or another team. The example of Odegaard comes to mind. He didn’t get the opportunity he wanted at Real, but in his current career he’s one of the most important players and captain of Arsenal.
“For us Arda Guler is worth gold. In Turkish football, perhaps in the world, players like Arda don’t appear all the time. He is a much more mature footballer than his age. Of course we want him to play more in Spain with Real Madrid. I definitely needed to get more playing time, especially in the last few games.”
There is undoubtedly a fear that Guler’s development could stagnate if he continues to hold a lowly squad position at Real Madrid. With that in mind, Cagri believes that a loan move in January would be advisable.
“He should make a decision for the short-term future. Maybe he needs to be loaned to an important club and play more. Arda is a very important player for Türkiye, he brings great power to the national team. Of course, a player like that can’t stay on the sidelines like at Real Madrid. Here, people trust him and he puts in great performances for his country.”