An injury forced Arbeloa to turn to his young star, who has delivered an incredible performance, but now that the starter is back, it is time to decide who will keep the spot.
The season for Arda Guler, who, a couple of nights ago, added a new vital assist to put Turkey into its World Cup “semifinal,” has been strange. A fixture for Xabi Alonso since the Club World Cup, he disappeared afterward from the Basque coach’s plans, forced to give Jude Bellingham a place in the team.
Alvaro Arbeloa brought him back into the fold, and, again, as at the start of the season, the Turk not only delivered but also stood out, especially in his role as an assist provider. But again, his spot is threatened, and for the same reason: Bellingham has just returned from an injury, and the Englishman must certainly have a place in the starting lineup. His return poses a direct threat to Arda or to Thiago Pitarch, another of Arbeloa’s major bets.
In any case, doing without the Turk would not be a simple decision, as the numbers are on his side. Despite not enjoying continuity, he is the team’s top assist provider, with 15 decisive passes, including two in the Club World Cup, four in the Champions League, and nine in La Liga.
In fact, in the major leagues, Arda is the fourth-best passer, only behind Olise (25) and Fermin and Bruno Fernandes (16). In Madrid, Fede Valverde has 12, and Vinicius has 10. A skill he has extended to the national team, where he was decisive in Turkey’s victory with a masterful assist.
Guler, author of a spectacular goal against Elche with a 60-meter shot, spoke from Turkey’s camp about his growth throughout the season. “I think my career is evolving positively. As I’ve already said, I can play in several positions, which gives me a different perspective. I think that also improves my vision of the game,” the Turk said Wednesday in a news conference.
“I feel that now I can perform better on both sides of the field. When I play a bit deeper, the coach’s expectations are different. Here, with the national team, when I’m used more as a playmaker, the demands are different,” he reflected.
That ability to drop deeper to form a double pivot with Tchouameni and provide fluidity in the buildup could be precisely the great argument for Arda to remain a starter at Madrid.
That tactical alternative would allow Arbeloa to have Bellingham play further forward and take advantage of the Englishman’s profile as a deep-lying runner, without a doubt his most decisive virtue and the one that has made him shine the most since he arrived at Madrid in 2023.
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