’I Need to Play’—Arda Guler Makes Real Madrid Transfer Admission | OneFootball

Turkish starlet Arda Güler is fully focused on Real Madrid, but admits that he may have to reconsider his future with the club should he not play a bigger role under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Madrid signed Güler to much fanfare two summers ago after breaking through at Fenerbahçe, but the creative midfielder played just a limited role while Carlo Ancelotti was in charge.

The 20-year-old saw his La Liga minutes increase from 373 in year one to 1,249 in year two, but many thought the left-footed playmaker was underutilised. Still, Ancelotti was very complimentary of Güler up until his departure, believing he would become a "very important player" for Madrid in the future.

Despite barely racking up 1,500 minutes of action in all competitions last season as a result of the stiff competition for places in Madrid’s attack, Güler notched 14 goal contributions.

The 20-year-old is currently out in the United States for the Club World Cup, and we caught our first glimpse of Madrid under Alonso in their 1–1 draw with Al Hilal to begin their tournament. Güler, who played the second half, has said he already feels "more important" with the Spaniard at the helm.

"I feel good with him because he likes to control the tempo, he wants more short passes, and he sees me as a midfielder, and that's better for me," he told MARCA.

And while there have been tenuous transfer links off the back of two fairly quiet seasons in the Spanish capital, Güler insisted that he’s not thinking about leaving Madrid. However, he wants to play as much as possible, and should he fail to grow in significance next season, Güler may think about leaving the club.

"For now, I haven't thought about leaving, but of course, if I don't play, I'll think about everything, but for now, I'm completely focused on Real Madrid," he said.