Real Madrid tracking ‘Turkish Messi’ Arda Güler

Arda Güler is the new pearl of Turkish football. At just 18 years old he made 35 appearances, recording six goals and seven assists, for Fenerbahçe.

In the club’s biggest game of the season, the Turkish Cup final, Güler helped his team to a 2-0 win over Istanbul rivals Basaksehir with an assist and the MVP title. Despite his young age he is already attracting the attention of some of the biggest names in European football, with the likes of Liverpool, AC Milan and Benfica all reportedly interested in the Fenerbahçe number ten.

However AS has learned that Real Madrid are also in the running to secure the services of the young midfielder. His contract reportedly includes a release clause that would allow him to leave the club if a fee of €17.5 million is offered.

In recent weeks it had been reported that Spanish side Sevilla, who faced Güler in last season’s Europa League, were in pole position to secure his signature. His release clause makes him very affordable for teams in the major European leagues but there could still be a bidding war for his services.

In recent years Madrid have looked to bet heavily on young talent, as the signings of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Endrick have evidenced. However they have already done more than enough to future-proof their midfield, recently adding Jude Bellingham to the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni.

If Güler does make the move to the Spanish capital he would have serious work to do to break into a team as talented as Madrid’s, but he has already shown that he will not be cowed by the challenge.