Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images
Dani Carvajal is the only Real Madrid player who tasted European glory with Spain earlier this week. That, however, does not go on to say that the team’s players did not put on a show at the event.
From Toni Kroos’ final dance to Aurelien Tchouameni’s rock-solid performances in midfield, Carlo Ancelotti’s players largely enjoyed good spells on an individual level. One player who particularly impressed in Germany was Arda Guler.
Playing for the Turkish national team, the young attacking midfielder announced his arrival on the big stage with consistent high-quality performances for the dark horses.
In just five appearances, he recorded one goal and two assists and averaged a stunning 1.6 key passes per game for his national side.
AC Milan legend in awe
Speaking at a media appearance recently (h/t Hurriyet), Ukrainian legend and former AC Milan star Andriy Shevchenko had only words of praise to describe the Real Madrid sensation and his performances at the Euro.
“You have valuable players. One of them is Arda Guler, a young but very great talent.”
“He has a style of play and technique that fascinates everyone. We can say that a new star is being born,” he added in what comes as massive praise.
While Guler’s numbers at such a young age are special, the fact that he achieved them coming off a season with minimal minutes only amplifies its greatness.
The path ahead
The teenager’s impressive performances at the Euros warrant a bigger role at the club level, thus adding to Carlo Ancelotti’s pre-existing selection problems.
With a change in system expected to accommodate Kylian Mbappe alongside Vinicius Jr, Los Blancos could well lose a body in midfield.
Pre-existing competition from Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, needless to say, complicates Guler’s path.
It will thus be interesting to see how the manager accommodates the Turkish phenom in his plans for next season or whether the door to a loan departure reopens.
