Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has stated that Turkey international Arda Guler is better suited to operate as a midfielder than as a forward.
The 20-year old scored the only goal of the match as Los Blancos defeated Getafe on Wednesday night to close the gap on Laliga leaders Barcelona to four points, after the Blaugrana had won 1-0 against Mallorca the previous day.
Guler has struggled to break into Real Madrid’s starting team after joining from Fenerbahce in 2023, with the likes of Luka Modric, Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga, ahead of him in the pecking order.
Speaking after the match, Ancelotti praised the youngster for his performance stating that the Turkish man will perform better as a midfielder than in attack in the future.
The Italian said: “He played as a midfielder and he did it his way: very well, with quality and a lot of calm. It’s a system we haven’t always used. In a 4-4-2, he can’t play centrally and only as a right midfielder. In a 4-3-3, he can play very well as a midfielder because he also works hard.
Guler has played 36 times in all competitions, although he has started just 13 matches, contributing four goals and seven assists.
“He lacks forcefulness in duels, but he has tremendous quality, not only because of the goal he scored today but also because of his game control. His future will be more there than later. Even thinking about him as a pivot right now might be crazy, but in the future, he can also play in that position. He has phenomenal quality in building up play,” he added (via Sports Illustrated).
Real Madrid are still in contention for a league and cup double, but must overcome a four-point deficit to Barcelona, while they also face the Catalan giants on Saturday in the Copa Del Rey final.
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