Ozil gives 'little brother' Guler transfer advice amid Real Madrid struggles

Tom Weber

Updated: 20 Apr 2024 12:23 BST
4 min read

Arda Guler, Real Madrid, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Former Real Madrid ace Mesut Ozil has urged Arda Guler to remain patient amid his ongoing struggles for game time.

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The Turkish wonderkid arrived from Fenerbahce last summer, but he is yet to have a major impact at the Santiago Bernabeu. The teenager is regarded as one of the biggest talents in European football, but a pre-season injury and subsequent fitness issues meant that his integration into Carlo Ancelotti's squad proceeded very slowly.

To date, the youngster has played fewer than 100 competitive minutes spread across just seven appearances, though he has already opened his Los Blancos account. He netted in a one-minute cameo against Celta Vigo in March.

STATS

Arda Güler

AM (C), M (R)

Real Madrid

Arda Güler

AM (C), M (R)

Real Madrid

7

Games
1

Goals
0

Assists

Speculation surrounding Guler has been rampant in recent months. It is thought that the 19-year-old is keen on a loan move in order to get game time under his belt. However, Fabrizio Romano previously claimed that Real Madrid are keeping the faith and want to keep the youngster around.

Ahead of El Clasico on Sunday, former Real Madrid fan favourite Mesut Ozil spoke about his compatriot and ex-Fenerbahce teammate and urged him to remain patient, though he also admitted that following in the footsteps of Martin Odegaard and leaving could be a good solution in the future.

Ozil on Guler

"I know him very well," the 2014 World Cup winner told MARCA. "He was like my little brother when we both played at Fenerbahce. Everybody knows his talent - that's why I don't want to praise him too much and put more and more pressure on him. It is not very easy to handle especially when you are the big hope of such a big, football-crazy country like Turkey."

"Just be patient. His time will come for sure. He is still so young. He can learn so much in every training session. And he has world-class players in front of him. Maybe not this season or next season. But there's time."

"And if it is not working out, he can still look at how Odegaard forged his path. Everyone criticised him when he did not play at the youngest age, but a few years on, he is the leader at another big European club, at Arsenal FC."