Arda Guler considers himself a mixture of 2 Real Madrid legends, says scout who discovered him
Serhat Pekmezi, the scout who discovered new Real Madrid signing Arda Guler, has claimed that the 18-year-old believes he is a mix of two legendary footballers. He claims that the youngster sees a lot of Modric and Guti in himself and is confident of delivering on the big stage.
Real Madrid signed Guler last week from Fenerbahce for a reported €30 million deal which included €10 million in add-ons. The Spanish giants beat interest from several clubs to sign the Turkish talent this summer.
Pekmezi has now revealed that Guler sees himself as a mix of Real Madrid legends Guti and Modric. He was quoted by journalist Gianluca Di Marzio as saying:
"Arda would say he's a mixture between Modric and Guti."
Guler has claimed that he was drawn to the club because of the history and named Guti among the legend he wants to emulate. He said at his unveiling:
"Real Madrid have a great legacy. Cristiano Ronaldo, Özil, Zidane, Guti. They are legends and I want to form part of this history."
When quizzed about his best position on the pitch, the youngster added:
"I'm best in the centre of midfield. But it's not important because I want to earn my position. I want to be an offensive player and create goal scoring situations. The position is up to the coach. I play well in the centre and also on the right wing."
Guler is set to be a part of Carlo Ancelotti's setup this season and will not be loaned out.
Real Madrid beat Barcelona to sign Arda Guler
Barcelona were keen on signing Arda Guler this summer and had sent sporting director Deco to Turkey to seal the deal.
The youngster had a €17.5 million release clause in his Fenerbahce contract, but the Catalan side needed time to activate it because of their financial situation.
However, Guler claimed that he was not interested in any club after Real Madrid showed interest. At his unveiling, the teenager said:
"Many clubs wanted me but I decided to join Rėal Madrid. This is the biggest club in the world. I repeat that there have been many clubs that have presented their offers. But as soon as Rėal Madrid appeared, all of the others lost importance."
Los Blancos have handed him the #24 jersey, which was previously worn by the likes of Jesús Vallejo, Mariano Díaz, Dani Ceballos, Asier Illarramendi, Nacho Fernández, Lassana Diarra, and Sami Khedira.