Real Madrid News
Former player and pundit lashes out at Real Madrid star – ‘Has shown immaturity in his performance’
The light always shines brightest on the biggest star in the team when things do not go to plan, and Arda Guler is experiencing that prominence early in his career with the Turkish national team.
The 19-year-old phenom, after all, is seen as one of the most important players for Vincenzo Montella’s side despite his struggle for minutes at Real Madrid and fingers are being pointed at him after Turkey’s inability to defeat Wales last night.
Journalists blame Guler
As revealed in a recent report by SPORT, former player and current commentator Mustafa Denizli lashed out at the Real Madrid youngster and called his performance last night ‘immature.’
“Arda has shown immaturity in his performance. It’s normal because he’s not in the same conditions as when he went to Real Madrid. He doesn’t look happy there.”
He also pointed the finger directly at Real Madrid for not giving him the minutes he requires.
“We know that he has enjoyed few minutes and opportunities, but his rivals in the locker room have increased their performance.”
Montella does not agree
Despite criticism over Guler in the media, however, the Turkish NT manager himself was happy with the Real Madrid star’s performance as revealed in his words after the game.
“It’s a really tough job to take Arda Guler out of the game, you never want to take him off. He’s a great footballer, fast,” he said.
“He hasn’t played consistently for a long time, so I concluded that he physically can’t continue,” he added.
After all, Guler’s performance against Wales was far from disappointing as he recorded two shots on target, had one shot blocked, completed three out of three attempted dribbles and made three key passes on the night.
Real Madrid opted to renew Antonio Rudiger’s contract this past summer to keep him at the club for one more season.
The 33-year-old veteran defender, though, has not been performing at his best, with physical problems taking their toll and age starting to catch up with him.
As such, the expectation is that Los Blancos will not extend his contract again when his current one expires on 30 June 2027.
Tottenham eye Antonio Rudiger
And, according to reports relayed by AS, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a free-transfer swoop to sign Rudiger in the summer of next year.
The north London club are understood to be keen on reinforcing their backline next year and see the German defender as an option, given his experience in the Premier League and the fact that he would be available for free in the summer.
So far this season, Rudiger has played only five games for Real Madrid, amounting to a total of 396 minutes.
The 33-year-old has even chipped in with two goals, including the all-important winner in the 4-3 comeback victory over AS Roma on Wednesday night.
Time to move on?
Despite Rudiger being a hugely respected figure in the Real Madrid locker room, he is currently the third-choice centre-back for Jose Mourinho.
After all, summer signing Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen have been preferred by the manager so far in the new season.
Moreover, with Eder Militao set to return imminently after a lengthy injury layoff, Rudiger’s game-time could be impacted further.
Given the situation and factoring in Real Madrid’s plans to sign another centre-back next summer, it is pretty much evident that Rudiger does not feature in the club’s plans for beyond this season.
As such, a separation of ways seems pretty likely when his contract expires, and Tottenham are now positioning themselves as early suitors to sign Rudiger as a free agent in 2027.
