Real Madrid may have taken the lead in the race to sign Fenerbahce teenager Arda Guler, as the 18-year-old is reportedly interested in the project at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A boyhood fan of Los Blancos, Guler has attracted interest from all of Europe, and Real may have to fight rivals Barcelona for the midfielder’s signature.
Guler has scored nine goals and provided 12 assists in 51 appearances for Fenerbahce, and whilst he has played across a whole variety of positions, he is best suited to a central or right-sided attacking midfield role.
It was recently revealed that he is a long-time fan of Real Madrid, dating back to Mesut Ozil’s days at the club, and with the club recruiting a lot of talented young players, he may be keener on their future project.
Journalist Mario Cortegana has now claimed that Guler will definitely depart Fenerbahce, and that joining the likes of Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga and Vinicius Junior at the Santiago Bernabeu could be appealing to the Turkey international.
Do Real Madrid have room for Arda Guler now?
If Real do manage to sign Guler, it seems that the likeliest scenario would be an initial loan move away.
Although he could help replace Marco Asensio in the squad, gaining regular minutes would be best for his development, and Real already have Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz as options on the right wing.
With the central midfield area now filled with quality talent, as Toni Kroos, Dani Ceballos and Luka Modric have extended their deals, it seems unlikely that Guler would be able to break into the team with his age and experience next season.
However, it would be worth picking him up and loaning him out within La Liga. Once Kroos and Modric eventually depart, he could join the squad with more experience under his belt, and would be more prepared for first-team action.