‘Turkish Messi’ ready to replace Modric at Real Madrid

One rising star appears to be a key player for Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid prepares to face Juventus in the Club World Cup on Tuesday (20:00 BST).

Arda Guler, known as “the Turkish Messi,” struggled to live up to the hype last season under Carlo Ancelotti, but with the arrival of the Italian’s replacement, she is now thriving.

Guler appeared to be ready to play a key role in Real’s midfield this year.

The former Fenerbahce starlet had a strong first season in Spain, contributing to his team’s title win by scoring six goals in just 10 La Liga appearances.

Guler continued his impressive performance at Euro 2024 with a goal for the tournament winner by curling home a delicious 25-yard strike against Georgia.

When he first arrived, he appeared eager to follow in the footsteps of his Real team-mates, who were international recruits who had been given a lot of potential and quickly developed into key performers.

But it didn’t occur. Instead, 2024-25 turned into a lost season.

Guler’s lack of significance was highlighted when he was a unused substitute for Real’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to Arsenal, which Ancelotti had rarely trusted.

Guler’s second-lowest tally (aside from long-term injury absences) came at the end of the season, giving him less than 1,800 minutes of total time in all competitions, giving rise to the possibility that he might attempt to rekindle his career by relocating to Madrid.

Uncertainty over his best position was a part of Guler’s struggle to establish himself under Ancelotti.

The youngster flitted between playing a central role and playing a right-wing position during his early years, which also led to his comparisons to Lionel Messi because of his ability to shoot or create with his cultured left foot and cut inside.

Guler has stated that he prefers to play inside because he has more opportunities to influence play and touch the ball.

Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos, and Brahim Diaz were left on the bench in Real’s final two group games against Pachuca and RB Salzburg, and Alonso agrees, saying the player “needs to be close to the ball.”

Guler gave himself the freedom to make two excellent performances in return. He helped the Austrians defeat them by scoring the second goal against Pachuca, passing more passes than any other player while playing the field.

In both of those games, Modric took Guler’s place in the second half. The old master was given the task of guarding the man’s energy reserves, and it seemed symbolic.

Vitor Pereira, the manager of Wolves, is one of those who is confident Guler will become a world champion, and he is one of them.

Guler, who was 16 at the time, made his Fenerbahce debut in 2021, and the Portuguese recalls that he was aware of the youngster’s unique ability right away.

Pereira told the Spanish newspaper Marca last week, “He reminded me of James Rodriguez when I coached him at the age of 19 and recently arrived at Porto.” They are two players who are exceptional talent.

Although “he]Guler] was a boy among men, he always found the winning pass every time he received the ball. And if he messed up, he asked for the ball to be returned so that he could try again.

Pereira disagrees with Messi’s comparison to him, saying that he should be given the central midfield position that Modric did before in the past. He instead agrees with the player and, presumably, Alonso.

Because of his ability to unbalance opposition between the lines, he continued, “I always saw him more as an eight or a 10.

He can play long or short, make the final pass or shoot from long range, and is intelligent. He also can look for solutions before receiving the ball.

He is aware of the rules and is always curious. He definitely looks better than Modric in the future.

And Pereira’s expectations of his former player’s potential have not been slowed by the difficulties that Guler faced last season.

He came to the conclusion that Real Madrid’s arrival with so many top-notch players was difficult. He will find a new home, though. I have no doubts about his plans for the future. He has the mentality and quality to play the main role.

That process is already taking shape less than a month into Alonso’s rule.