Arda Güler remains one of Real Madrid’s most talked-about young players, not because of what he is doing on the pitch, but because of how little he has been allowed to do there lately.
As Jude Bellingham returns to full fitness and reclaims his central role, the Turkish prodigy finds himself on the fringes, fueling debate, speculation and familiar January transfer noise.
Signed from Fenerbahçe in 2023 for an initial 20 million euros ($23.4 million), Güler arrived in Madrid with the glow of a generational prospect.
Injuries slowed his first steps, but when opportunities came in the 2024-25 season and early this campaign, he delivered flashes of elite quality – sharp vision between the lines, fearless shooting from range and the calm of a natural playmaker.
Used as a No. 10 or drifting in from the right, he showed why Madrid invested early.
Xabi Alonso’s appointment initially looked like a turning point.
The former midfield maestro publicly backed Güler, and the player responded with confidence, saying he felt “important” under the new coach.
Even with Bellingham expected back, there was belief Güler would remain a key rotation piece in Alonso’s fluid, midfield-heavy systems.
That promise has faded as the season has worn on. With Bellingham restored as the focal point, Güler’s minutes have dipped.
By mid-December, he had logged just over 1,000 La Liga minutes, starting regularly but rarely finishing matches and sitting out several high-profile fixtures.
Alonso has framed the decisions as tactical, but the optics – a creative talent watching from the bench – have not gone unnoticed.
Those circumstances have given rise to reports of tension between player and coach.
Spanish and Turkish outlets have pointed to alleged dressing-room frustration following substitutions and omissions, though neither the club nor Güler has confirmed any rift. Publicly, Alonso has stayed measured, and Güler has offered no indication of open discontent.
Predictably, the reduced role has reignited transfer chatter. Premier League interest – Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool among them – has been widely reported, though sources close to the player insist he has not pushed for an exit and remains committed to succeeding in Madrid.
The most dramatic rumor centers on a potential swap involving Florian Wirtz. Alonso’s former Bayer Leverkusen star, now at Liverpool after a blockbuster 2025 move, is once again being linked with Real Madrid. Spanish media have floated a scenario in which Güler heads to Anfield as part of a deal for Wirtz – a headline-grabbing idea, but one with little concrete backing at this stage.
Inside the club, Madrid officials continue to downplay any January departure, stressing Güler’s long-term value. For now, this appears less a crisis than a crossroads: a gifted 20-year-old caught behind an established star, waiting for space to reassert himself.
