Real Madrid News
Real Madrid playmaker unsure about his place in the team despite top form in pre-season
Arda Guler has been one of Real Madrid’s standout performers throughout pre-season, continuing to build on an encouraging campaign under Jose Mourinho.
Yet despite his fine form, the Turkish playmaker faces an uncertain battle for regular minutes, with competition for places fiercer than ever at the Bernabeu.
And much of that uncertainty stems from the impending return of Jude Bellingham.
Guler shining in pre-season
According to Diario AS, Guler has been Real Madrid’s most in-form attacking player this pre-season, leaving a mark in every outing.
Against Fiorentina, he was the pick of the bunch even in a disappointing second-half display, and he followed that up with another influential showing in the 2-1 win over Ferencvaros in Budapest.
There, Guler was involved in both goals without registering a goal or an assist himself, providing the corner for the first and a delicate touch to set up the second.
Mourinho has clearly earmarked him for the number 10 role, and Guler has thrived there, orchestrating Real Madrid’s attacking play with his vision and creativity.
On current form, it would be almost inconceivable to leave him out of the starting eleven if the season began tomorrow.
The Bellingham dilemma
The problem for Guler is that his best position is also occupied by one of the club’s biggest names.
Mourinho asked the club to have two players for every position, and in attacking midfield, that means Guler competing directly with Bellingham.
Should the Englishman rediscover the form of his debut campaign, there would be little argument over who starts. However, Bellingham’s output dipped over the following two seasons, and there was already debate last term about his place in the side.
For now, circumstances favour Guler. The Turk enjoyed his best season yet with six goals and 14 assists, and with Bellingham unlikely to be at peak fitness for the league opener, Guler should get a run in the opening few matches.
Beyond that, the competition only intensifies, with Diomande, Brahim Diaz and a returning Rodrygo all adding to the battle for attacking spots.
Real Madrid prospect Alexis Ciria will have to wait for his Champions League opportunity despite making a strong impression on Jose Mourinho during pre-season.
The Castilla winger has been left out of Real Madrid’s European squad, but the decision is the consequence of UEFA registration rules rather than a sporting judgment.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez (h/t Defensa Central), Ciria was not eligible for Madrid’s List B because he has not been with the club long enough to satisfy UEFA’s requirements.
Registering him would therefore have required Mourinho to include him on the more restrictive List A.
UEFA rules work against Ciria
List B provides clubs with additional flexibility to register young academy players, but being young enough is not sufficient on its own.
Players must also meet requirements concerning how long they have been eligible to represent the club.
Ciria does not meet those conditions because of his limited time at Valdebebas. Real Madrid would therefore have needed to sacrifice a List A position to register him.
With those places required for members of Mourinho’s senior squad, Ciria was ultimately left out.
Real Madrid’s List B instead includes youngsters such as Joan Martinez, Mario Rivas, Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero and Daniel Yanez.
Many of these youngsters made a name for themselves under Mourinho during pre-season and could be used to make up the numbers in the Champions League squad.
They could also get some minutes off the bench, especially against relatively easier opposition, as Jose Mourinho looks to manage first-team minutes.
Mourinho still plans first-team opportunity
Importantly for Ciria, missing the Champions League squad does not appear to reflect a change in Mourinho’s opinion of him.
The youngster impressed during pre-season and is expected to continue spending time around the senior team.
Mourinho intends to give Ciria his official first-team debut during the season. That opportunity will now have to arrive in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
The Portuguese tactician placed a lot of emphasis on trusting Castilla players during pre-season in the absence of first-team stars.
Ciria was one of the many names who made a name for themselves at Real Madrid during pre-season. He deserves a chance in the first team, and it remains to be seen how Jose plans his development.
