Arda Güler Presents Mourinho With a Solution for Real Madrid’s Midfield

Turkey’s defeat to France produced some good news for Real Madrid. Arda Güler played the full 90 minutes, took on creative responsibilities and once again showed that he can thrive away from the wing. At a time when José Mourinho continues to search for greater control in midfield.

Arda Güler Finds the Freedom He Needs With Turkey

The final score favored France 1-0 thanks to Kylian Mbappé’s goal in the 54th minute, but Arda Güler used the match to show another side of his game.

Vincenzo Montella allowed him to play an important role in Turkey’s buildup, giving him the freedom to receive the ball, drift inside and try to connect the midfield with the attack.

Unlike what has happened in several matches with Real Madrid, this time he did not have to leave the field before the final whistle. Güler started and completed all 90 minutes in Kocaeli, something also confirmed by the Spanish club in its recap of the international action.

He could not prevent his national team from losing, but he did provide more arguments to return to Madrid demanding an even bigger role.

Real Madrid Is Still Searching for Someone to Control the Game

The debate surrounding Güler is not solely a result of what happened with Turkey.

Real Madrid has experienced periods of inconsistency in its buildup play during the early stages of the season. The recent defeat to Atlético de Madrid once again exposed difficulties in controlling the game from midfield, particularly when opponents increase their intensity and reduce the available space.

The departure of Toni Kroos left a void the club is still trying to fill. It is not necessarily about finding another player identical to the German, but rather recovering some of the qualities he provided: composure, clarity when playing out from the back and the ability to determine where each attack should begin.

That is where Arda Güler’s name once again becomes relevant.

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Should Mourinho Move Güler Into a Deeper Role?

José Mourinho has already given him an important role this season, although primarily as an attacking midfielder or starting from the right with the freedom to move into central areas. Mundo Deportivo recently highlighted how the Turkish international has become one of the Portuguese coach’s important players during the early stages of the campaign.

The question now is whether he can offer even more.

Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde provide physicality, work rate, ball recovery and balance, but the team also needs a player capable of receiving between the lines and either accelerating or slowing down possession depending on what the match requires.

Güler offers a different profile.

His left foot, vision and ability to operate between the lines make it possible to imagine him playing a few yards deeper, becoming more involved in the beginning of attacking moves rather than simply waiting to receive the ball near the penalty area.

It does not mean turning him into the new Kroos. It means taking advantage of qualities that Real Madrid currently needs.

Güler Still Has More Opportunities to Make His Case

The international break is not over yet for Turkey.

Following the match against France, Vincenzo Montella’s team still has games against Italy and Belgium, giving Güler more opportunities to accumulate minutes and demonstrate how influential he can be when given greater responsibility on the ball.

Real Madrid confirmed that the Turkish midfielder is among the 14 first-team players called up by their national teams during this international window.

When he returns to Valdebebas, the decision will belong to Mourinho.

Güler does not need to become a copy of Toni Kroos to help solve the problem. Perhaps the answer lies precisely in allowing him to be something different: a midfielder with the freedom to create, receive the ball more frequently and become one of the players responsible for giving purpose to Real Madrid’s possession.

Against France, he provided another glimpse of what he can do.

Arda Güler started and played the full 90 minutes in Turkey’s 1-0 defeat to France in the UEFA Nations League.
The Turkish international’s performance has reopened the debate over whether he should be used in a deeper midfield role at Real Madrid.
José Mourinho has already given him an important role early this season, but the team’s problems controlling matches could lead him to explore a different position for the 21-year-old.