Arda Guler reveals why he joined Real Madrid – ‘Going to be Modric’s crown prince’ | OneFootball

Arda Guler was one of Real Madrid’s prized acquisitions last summer, along with Jude Bellingham.

The 19-year-old Turkish wonderkid arrived from Fenerbahce, with Los Blancos beating arch-rivals Barcelona in the race for his signing.

Arda Guler explains decision to sign for Real Madrid

Currently on international duty with Turkey, Guler has shed light on what made him choose Real Madrid over his other suitors, claiming that it was a childhood dream, like it is for many kids.

“I think that the dream of many children from a young age is to play for Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world,” he told El Chiringuito TV (h/t MARCA).

Guler went on to reveal that Real Madrid laid out their long-term plans for him at the club, even informing him that they see him as the heir to veteran midfielder Luka Modric.

“The project they offered me was for a long time. I was convinced the moment we sat down at that table with Madrid, everything was already in place,” he said.

“Real Madrid told me that I was going to be Luka Modric’s crown prince, and I was impressed because he is an incredible player.”

“When I heard the project I said… that’s it,” he added.

Modric’s heir? (Photo by JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images)

On his minutes

Guler had a difficult start to life at Real Madrid as a series of three injuries saw him wait until the second half of the season for his debut.

Even then, the 19-year-old did not get as many minutes on the pitch as he would have liked. When asked about it, the teenager replied:

“I feel sad when I don’t play, I do my best every day to play. I spoke a lot with the coach before I came here.

“Ancelotti presented me with realistic plans, he told me that I can play as much as I am ready.”

The teenager also added that adapting to the new environment has not been easy, saying: “Adaptation is the most important thing. I had to adapt to social life, but I also need to improve my Spanish. I need to develop socially. Everyone speaks Spanish, it’s very difficult in training.”

“The coach explains something in Spanish, it is not translated. The whole team speaks Spanish. It is very difficult. I take Spanish lessons for one hour twice a week.”