Arda Guler faces key season at Real Madrid

Real Madrid opened their pre-season campaign with a defeat after losing 1-0 to Milan. A mistake by Brahim while playing the ball out from the back and a quick counter-attack from the 'Rossoneri' punished Carlo Ancelotti's side.

But it wasn't all bad news for 'Los Blancos', as some of their players, especially Arda Guler, showed glimpses of quality. The Turkish player was very active during the 46 minutes he played and linked up well with Brahim and Endrick.

The playmaker is aware that he must give his all from the start given the high level of competition in the 'Merengues' attack this season. The signings of Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, along with Vinicius, Rodrygo and company, make for a very strong front line.

Due to injuries, Guler was unable to prepare properly last summer and this year, who has been with the club since the start of the US tour, he must make the most of the opportunity he has been presented with.

On the other hand, the former Fenerbahce player has returned to training with Madrid in better shape than he was after joining the Spanish side in 2023. He struggled for playing time because he had not yet overcome his physical problems. In the final stretch of the campaign, he managed to play several consecutive matches, but, in general, his participation was very limited. He only made 12 appearances, although he was able to make the most of them, scoring 6 goals.

After the match against Milan, Ancelotti was asked about Guler and was full of praise for him: "He has returned to the team very well, he worked hard during the holidays. He has arrived more powerful, more resistant and with the same quality.

But the most relevant part of his statements was that he left open the possibility that the Ottoman could form part of the midfield. In other words, the coach would have in mind placing him as a central midfielder. It doesn't sound far-fetched if we take into account the characteristics of the player, who is not a typical winger, and if we consider the absence of Toni Kroos, which means that there is one less player in midfield.