It was met with some surprise in the Spanish capital that Turkish talent Arda Guler was adamant about staying at the club when he arrived. Widely tipped for a loan move in order to continue his development, the then teenage talent backed himself to get game time under Carlo Ancelotti.
The first six months of his Real Madrid career were defined by injuries, as several separate issues held them up, but even when recovered, he saw little game time. By the end of the last campaign though, it seemed things had finally clicked with Ancelotti, and he showed moments of brilliance in the final stages of La Liga.
This year he was projected to have an even bigger role, but the reality has been different, and his start against Real Sociedad was just his second appearance in eight games, both in the Copa del Rey. It carried him across the 1,000-minute mark, and while he has three goals and five assists in his 28 appearances, his game time has been well short of expectation.
Reports have emerged recently that Guler would be open to a loan departure as a result, but Relevo have contradicted this information. According to their sources, Guler does not want to leave on loan, and will either remain at the club next season with a bigger role, or he will leave on a permanent deal. The 20-year-old has no intention of spending another season warming the bench.
His camp do not understand the lack of opportunities or continuity for Guler, and while his intention is to stay and triumph at Real Madrid, next season he will be an important player: regardless of where it is. Ancelotti has dismissed talk of any malcontent, and noted that Guler is going for a normal process at Real Madrid for a young player. He also, rather pointedly, noted that ‘whomever does not understand that, will have to do so’, which many took to be a message to Guler’s camp.
