An underrated star, how did Gule become Mbappé’s chief bread-feeder! How should Long make a choice?

In the past two seasons, the decision to sign Arda Guler seemed to be a mistake by Real Madrid. In fact, there are reports that Real Madrid did not really want him at first, and the reason why they brought the "Turkish Messi" from Fenerbahce to the Bernabeu was just because Barcelona was determined to get him. But times have changed, and this original judgment now seems to be completely wrong.

Over the past few months, Guler has become an integral part of Xavi Alonso's staff - and a right-hand man for Kylian Mbappe. He did not replicate Messi's highlight moments. Instead, he assumed a midfield role closer to his former teammate and mentor Mesut Ozil, and the effect was extremely significant. Although Mbappe is still developing a tacit understanding on the court with superstars such as Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, he has found a partner in Guler who can deliver fatal passes to ensure that he can continue to score goals and fulfill his goal promise.

Barcelona failed to "stop Hu", and Real Madrid came out halfway.

When Guler emerged as a young genius in Turkish football, Barcelona and Arsenal were the clubs most closely associated with him. The Red and Blues were lacking creative players like him at the time, and Catalonia believed that Guler could grow into a future superstar together with the club's youth training talents.

At the beginning of 2023, Barcelona Chairman Joan Laporta publicly stated that the deal had been basically finalized, and the only condition was that Guler would not join until next season.

"Today (Barcelona Sports Director) Deco is in Istanbul," Laporta said. "La Liga allows us to complete the signing operation for next season without affecting the Financial Fair Play Policy. Arda Güler is a very talented player, and Deco appreciates him very much. We are working hard to finalize the deal."

Then Real Madrid suddenly intervened. Los Blancos insist they had been monitoring Guler for months before Barca made the move, but bitter rivals are unconvinced. Real Madrid made an initial offer of €20m (£17m/$22m), plus €10m in floats, and promised Guler first-team minutes from day one. Laporta later responded in trademark style, insisting that signing Guleben was a huge mistake.

"We withdrew from Guler's transfer negotiations because the size of the deal has exceeded expectations and we think it is a mistake for Barcelona," he said after Real Madrid officially announced the signing. "There are many players we can sign without getting involved in a bidding war."

"We could have participated in the competition for Guler, but ultimately decided to give up. We have our own principles and will not exceed them - Whether it is for Alda or other players who want to come to Barcelona. "

After a long wait, finally got the opportunity

When Guler joined Madrid, his ability to control the ball was unquestionable, but considering his stage of development, his physical condition had obvious limitations. Unsurprisingly, he soon suffered an injury and was forced to sit in the Bernabeu stands for several months before making his debut in January 2024. Even so, the then Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti seemed not to be fully convinced of his ability.

"He played for an hour and performed well, but obviously his body is not at its best yet," The famous Italian coach said at the time, "It is important for him to adapt to the team's style of play and show his talent. You must be patient. He has already shown his strength in the first half. He does have personality and character, which is a good thing. What stands out most about him is his technical level, but to succeed in Real Madrid, character is equally important."

Since then, Guler still has to wait for a long time for more opportunities. Luka Modric was used first on several occasions, while Bellingham shone in the other attacking midfield position. In the 2024-25 season, after Real Madrid secured the league title, Ancelotti rotated in preparation for the Champions League. Guler scored 6 goals in the last 7 La Liga games of the season, but this did not make the legendary coach fully recognize his ability - he only started 18 times in all competitions that season and averaged only 41 minutes per game.

Dazzling statistics, comprehensive upgrade

In contrast, Alonso has no worries. From the first game of coaching Real Madrid in the Club World Cup, he has made Guler a key link in the tactical system. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss came on as a half-time substitute for Guler in Real Madrid's first game against Riyadh Crescent and has remained in the starting line-up ever since as the team progressed to the semi-finals.

This trust has continued into the 2025-26 season. So far, Guler has started 14 times in 16 games for Real Madrid in all competitions, contributing 3 goals and 6 assists. Including his performance for Turkey in the World Cup qualifiers, he has been involved in 15 goals in about 1,700 minutes of playing time.

In La Liga, Guler contributed 0.91 direct goals per 90 minutes for Real Madrid, ranking in the top 2% of the league; he created 40 opportunities in all competitions, ranking first among players in the five major European leagues.

Alonso also asked Guler to improve his defensive performance, and the data shows that he is making steady progress. He made 0.74 interceptions per 90 minutes, which ranked him in the top 26% of attacking midfielders, and made 1.78 successful tackles, which ranked him in the top 16%. Those numbers aren't top-notch, but they're certainly not bad -- especially for a team that consistently has more possession than its opponents and is eager to get the ball back quickly.

Full tacit understanding, dedicated to feeding Mbappe

However, perhaps the most critical thing for Real Madrid's championship prospects in the next few months is the tacit cooperation between Guler and Mbappe. Mbappe and Vinicius are supposed to be a very lethal striker combination, but the two are often not in the same rhythm, resulting in many threatening attacks being aborted in the cooperation.

In contrast, Güler and Mbappe have formed a very strong chemical reaction. All six of the Turkish midfielder's assists this season have been given to Mbappe. When talking about the cooperation between the two, he said that they "understand each other very well" and was compared to Real Madrid's former golden partner.

"I like to be compared to Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil, and Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler," said 20 when asked if he could replicate the performance of Ozil (who provided 39 assists for Ronaldo during his time at Real Madrid). The 20-year-old Guler said, "They have achieved great achievements, but major success is always the result of team efforts, not just two players."

Guler's precise passing ability has allowed Mbappe to stay more in the center this season - the Frenchman is more willing to cooperate with Real Madrid's No. 15, rather than deviating from the right side of Guler's midfield trident and rushing to his preferred left wing. Because of this, Real Madrid under Alonso appears to be more balanced than when Ancelotti coached last season.

There are still questions and problems to be solved

However, there are still some problems to be solved about Guler's presence in the lineup. Real Madrid have a star-studded squad and Alonso needs to please everyone, and there are scattered reports that he is facing challenges in this regard.

Bellingham is one of them. The England star has made a strong return to Real Madrid's starting lineup over the past month after recovering from a shoulder injury, partnering Guler in the left No. 8 position. But there are still doubts whether the two can coexist, especially when Alonso also lines up the front three.

Bellingham has a strong ability to control the ball. Compared with Guler, who is flexible and more adaptable to the rhythm of La Liga, he can provide stronger confrontation ability in the midfield and may have an advantage when facing top European teams. For example, in the Champions League match against Liverpool, the two appeared together. Due to the lack of authentic wingers, Guler was pushed to a more advanced position on the right. Unsurprisingly, his performance at Anfield was lackluster. Given Mbappe's fondness for playing in front of Guler, Alonso must find a way for his best attacking midfielders to coexist.

There is still room for improvement, and the future is promising.

One solution has been proposed: let Guler eventually withdraw into a deeper position in Real Madrid's midfield and become the passing master that Los Blancos have been in urgent need of since Toni Kroos retired in the summer of 2024. But the former Germany international doesn't buy into that idea.

"I'm happy that he's getting a lot of playing time for the first time this year. With his football talent, he deserves it and he's a player we can count on in the future," Kroos told Sport 1 Taiwan", "But I don't believe in such a comparison. Alda and I are different types of players. His best position is further forward than me, so there is no argument that he will succeed me."

"I have played alongside him, and his touch is very delicate, which he has used effectively for Real Madrid this season. This advantage. Therefore, I hope that he can continue to get stable playing time, which is the only way to improve his strength. I believe that as long as this is done, he can leave his own mark in Real Madrid and gain a long-term foothold."

In any case, Alonso has made it clear that he highly recognizes Guler. As long as he can continue to deliver precise passes to Mbappe, he will occupy a place in the Real Madrid lineup.