Real Madrid wonderkid could follow Odegaard's path to the top

Arda Guler moved to Real Madrid last summer with a reputation as one of the finest attacking prospects in Europe.

Having played more than 50 times for Fenerbahce by the age of 18, Guler was crowned Turkey’s great hope and expectations were huge about his transfer to the Bernabeu.

Things have not gone to plan, however, for a player who chose Real over Barcelona.

The attacking midfielder required surgery on a torn meniscus last summer, ruling him out of the autumn entirely. When he attempted a comeback, he suffered a muscle tear and failed to appear on the pitch for Real Madrid until the new year.

Guler, who turned 19 this week, has only played five times for Real so far this season for a total of 92 minutes and around 60 of those came in the Copa del Rey against minnows Arandina.

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In LaLiga, Guler has been restricted to three games with his playing time barely totalling 20 minutes, much to the frustration of the player.

Back in January he was spotted throwing his substitute’s bib to the ground once it became apparent he wouldn’t be summoned from the bench.

And at the weekend there was more controversy.

With the game in the balance against Sevilla, coach Carlo Ancelotti appeared ready to give Guler the chance to change the game.

Arda Guler's frustrations boil over

Luka Modric scored late on, however, and Guler was sat back down by his manager.

That decision came to the consternation of the playmaker, who was spotted sulking on the bench rather than celebrating a crucial late winner.

"I had one thought before Modric's goal and after the goal I changed my mind. It's not that complicated and I don't have to explain this," Ancelotti told his post-match press conference. "And if he doesn't understand it, it doesn't matter."

The Italian’s attitude towards Guler has seemingly hardened. Where once he described the Turkey international’s future as “beautiful”, he has been increasingly reluctant to trust him with game time.

And, with Ancelotti contracted until 2026, it is unlikely that Guler’s prospects are going to change any time soon.

It has therefore been mooted in the Spanish press that the former Fener wonderkid is intending to consider a loan move this summer.

Arsenal, Inter and Dortmund are among the overseas clubs said to be keen on taking Guler on loan while domestic options include Real Sociedad and Getafe.

Previously, Madrid have sent players like Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz out on loan - to Arsenal and AC Milan respectively - and those two have come back to play their part in the Madrid first team.

Conversely, other youngsters like Take Kubo and Martin Odegaard opted for permanent moves after their loans concluded, continuing their careers away from the Spanish capital.

The reports claim that he wants a guarantee of minutes next season and the contract situation regarding Modric remains uncertain.

Were he to move on, there could be space for Guler to move up in the Madrid queue.

On the other hand, Endrick and Kylian Mbappe are both arriving this summer and will add to Ancelotti’s attacking options for the new campaign.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Guler.