The 18-year-old has signed a six-year deal with Los Blancos after turning heads across the continent during a breakout season for Fenerbahce
Being compared to Lionel Messi is a rite of passage for any attacking wonderkid, and Arda Guler is no different. The diminutive forward attracted plenty of attention from some of Europe's biggest clubs this summer having been excitingly dubbed 'The Turkish Messi' some time ago.
Fenerbahce were eager to keep Guler around as they look to close the gap on Galatasaray at the top of the Super Lig next season, but the writing was already on the wall. Interest in the 18-year-old came from far and wide, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund just some of the clubs in the running.
In the end, Los Blancos have triumphed, with the Spanish giants beating everyone else to his signature, doing so by committing to pay in excess of release clause by agreeing an initial €20 million (£17m/$22m) fee, with a potential €10m (£8.5m/$11m) more due in add-ons.
So is the hype justified? Or is Guler condemned to join the likes of Ryan Gauld, Amir Sayoud and Alen Halilovic as players who could not live up to high expectations after being touted as Messi's successor on the global stage?
Below, GOAL takes an intimate look at why theNXGN Nine 2023 inductee is such an exciting prospect…
Getty ImagesWhere it all began
Guler was given little choice in becoming a footballer by his father, Umit. In an interview with GOAL back in 2022, he revealed the novel method he used to encourage his son to take up the game. "We did not have any left-footers in our family," he explained. "I put balloons and footballs in front of his left foot so he would use it more."
It only took until his second year of primary school to realise that Guler might have serious talent. During that time, his PE teacher encouraged him to join the youth academy of Genclerbirligi – a team based in Ankara. "Genclerbirligi's training facilities were very far from our home," Umit recalled. "We took Arda there with his teacher’s insistence, and he managed to show off his talents in the first training session. They put him in their team immediately!"
Guler was eventually spotted by Turkish giants Fenerbahce at an Under-14 tournament, where he impressed by battling through an ankle injury. After some deliberation by the club, an offer eventually came and he and his family made the near-500 kilometre move to Istanbul in 2019. It was a huge moment for Guler, who had grown up as a Fenerbahce fan idolising club legend Alex de Souza.
The pandemic disrupted his development slightly, but he refused to let the situation knock him completely off track. Once football resumed, he began impressing for the U17s and the U19s. He managed 10 goals and seven assists in just 22 appearances for the latter, and was rewarded with his maiden professional contract in January 2021.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break
Fenerbahce boss Vitor Pereira had taken note of Guler's meteoric rise through the age groups and he was called up to train for the first team halfway through the 2020-21 campaign. He had to be patient for his big break, though, only making his debut at the beginning of the following season, when he came on as a substitute during a Europa League qualifying bout against HJK Helsinki.
Just three days later, he fully marked his arrival as a future superstar. Again, he was introduced off the bench with Fenerbahce drawing 0-0 against Antalyaspor. With victory anything but certain, Guler popped up with a vital assist, using his body well to maneuver the ball over to Miha Zajc, who finished superbly from outside the box.
This could have been the start of a extended run in the first team, but Pereira had other ideas. Eventually though, Guler became impossible to ignore for the Portuguese's interim replacement, Ismail Kartal. The turning point came against Alanyaspor, played shortly after he managed assists in both Europa Conference League play-off legs against Slavia Prague.
Following a familiar theme, he was introduced with Fenerbahce heading for a draw. Guler was the game-changer, meeting Diego Rossi's back-post header perfectly with a side-footed volley to put his team 3-2 up. The strike made him the youngest scorer in the club's history. That wasn't his only contribution either. After Dimitrios Pelkas had put the game beyond Antalyaspor, Guler provided an assist for Mergim Berisha to add some gloss to the scoreline.
Following this superb cameo, he would never spend as long out of the first-team picture again, and finished the season by adding two more goals and an assist in a string of other impressive Super Lig substitute appearances.
Getty ImagesHow it's going
Last season, Guler built on his excellent end to the 2021-22 campaign. In the summer, he was handed the No.10 shirt previously worn by his idol, Alex, as well as Mesut Ozil, Robin van Persie and Tuncay Sanli. His involvement with the U19 team also stopped, though his breakthrough as a first-team regular under new manager Jorge Jesus would not come until the second half of the season.
This was a bit of a surprise considering he grabbed a brace from the bench in his first league appearance of the season – a 6-0 demolition of Kasimpasa. Eventually though, following significant criticism on social media, his manager relented.
He was handed a start in a 5-1 thrashing of Kasimpasa in January and slowly worked his way into Jesus' plans, thanks in part to the coach doing away with a three-at-the-back system he had flirted with at the beginning of the season. His call-up to the Turkey senior squad a few months earlier likely played a role in Jesus bringing him into the fold, too.
Following this breakthrough, Guler was instrumental in helping Fenerbahce lift the Turkish Cup – the club's first silverware since 2014. He started the final and laid on a gorgeous assist for Michy Batshuayi's first goal in a 2-0 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir.
Guler then capped off a fine season with his maiden Turkey goal against Wales. It was a spectacular strike, with the youngster bending an unstoppable effort past a stricken Danny Ward. It would have left the long list of clubs tracking him absolutely purring.
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Getty ImagesBiggest strengths
Guler is still only 18, but he has already played in a host of different positions for club and country. The majority of his minutes have come either in a right-forward or attacking-midfield berth, but he has also popped up on the left and even as a striker.
Regardless of where he is playing, Guler will tend to gravitate towards the right half-space. From here, he wreaks havoc, either carrying the ball past his opponents or laying on chances for his team-mates. The are several reasons why he is so effective in this area. Firstly, he has a low centre of gravity, with this agility allowing him to twist and turn devilishly. Combine this with his precise ball control and it can take some effort to dispossess the Turkey international when he is full flow. His flair helps as well. While not being overly flashy, Guler is not afraid to try the audacious to keep hold of possession.
Once he's created space for himself, his vision and passing technique come into play. He loves playing through balls to on-rushing strikers, as we saw in the Turkish Cup final last season. If he finds himself on the left, he can often resemble an old-fashion winger, getting to the byline before swinging in a wicked cross. An aerially dominant striker will very much enjoy playing with Guler. Despite his young age, he rarely makes incorrect decisions in the final third.
He also possesses a goalscoring threat, which is likely to develop over the coming years. Like many modern forwards, Guler is constantly looking to cut inside onto his dominant foot, as his splendid goal against Wales recently demonstrated.
He's a set piece demon too, capable of swinging corners in with pace and dip to either post.