REVEALED: Why Real Madrid wonderkid Arda Guler snubbed Barcelona

Tom Weber

• Updated: 10 Jan 2024 21:29 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona's dire financial situation played a major role in Arda Guler opting to sign for Clasico rivals Real Madrid in the summer, according to a report.

The Turkish wonderkid is regarded as one of the biggest talents in world football. Having starred for Fenerbahce in the Super Lig last season, the player was snapped up by Real Madrid in the summer for a sizeable €20 million.

Since then, things haven't quite gone to plan for the youngster. A major injury in pre-season and subsequent fitness setbacks meant that the teenager only made his Los Blancos debut at the weekend when fourth-tier Arandina were brushed aside in the Copa del Rey.

Rather than loaning him out to help him get back to full fitness, Real will keep the 18-year-old around as they believe he is already good enough to feature prominently for the first team. After a promising 59 minutes against Arandina, Los Blancos will hope that Guler can build on this by impressing in more difficult games.

Had things panned out slightly differently in the summer, however, the Turkish starlet could be wearing the colours of El Clasico rivals Barcelona.

Why Guler snubbed Barca

It was Barcelona, rather than Real, who were among Guler's earliest and keenest suitors in the previous transfer window while he was still at Fenerbahce. Sporting director Deco even personally travelled to Istanbul to meet the youngster and wrap up the deal.

Eventually, however, Los Blancos swooped in and Guler decided to head to the Spanish capital rather than Catalunya. Now, The Athletic has revealed why the youngster made this decision.

The report asserts that the project presented to him by the Blaugrana hierarchy was "unconvincing." Due to the club's "institutional and economic instability," Guler opted to head to Madrid instead. It proved a wise choice as Los Blancos currently top the LaLiga standings, while Barcelona languish in third, some seven points off the summit.