It’s safe to say that Arda Guler’s first season in Spanish football has been frustrating. The Turkish teenager, signed from Fenerbahce last summer, has struggled to establish himself at Real Madrid, with injuries and a lack of opportunities meaning that he is yet to put his stamp on the Spanish capital.
Guler arrived at Real Madrid with plenty of promise, although his chances of a fast start were quickly extinguished when he was forced to undergo surgery before the start of the season to address an niggling meniscus problem. Even when he has been fit, Carlo Ancelotti has opted to use him very sparingly, which has led to his frustration boiling over at times.
Still, Guler is highly valued at Real Madrid, but they cannot afford for him to be playing little to no football next season, which looks likely considering the competition he has, which will only be added to with the arrival of Endrick Felipe, and the expected one of Kylian Mbappe.
A loan move could be the best outcome for all involved, and Fichajes have reported that Real Sociedad are keen to take Guler for the 2024-25 season. La Real have experience of taking promising Real Madrid talents on loan, as they did with Martin Odegaard in 2019.
The Norwegian had an excellent campaign in Donostia-San Sebastian, and that led to his move to Arsenal, where he has been fantastic over the last few seasons. Equally, a loan switch to La Real could also be the catalyst that Guler needs to establish himself within Spanish football.
There’s not much doubt that Guler does need a loan move. He’s not going to play very much next season if he stays at Real Madrid, with multiple players ahead of him in the pecking order, so in order to continue his development, it is imperative that he goes out to play regular football, which won’t be possible at Los Blancos.
Real Sociedad would be a great move for all parties. Takefusa Kubo could be on his way out in the summer – which could see Real Madrid net some funds, as they have a 50% sell-on clause – and Guler could easily take up his role on the right hand side of Imanol Alguacil’s front three. He would probably be a consistent starter too, which he needs to be if he wants to deliver on his massive potential.
It remains to be seen whether Real Madrid do look to loan out Guler. Reports over the last few weeks have suggested that the player himself wants to stay, but it would be unwise, as he’s not expected to feature much in the famous white jersey next season.
