Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insists 19-year-old star will play for Los Blancos in clash vs Cadiz
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that 19-year-old Arda Guler will be in the starting line-up in their match against Cadiz on Saturday, May 4. The Los Blancos are almost on their way to win their 36th La Liga title this season with five fixtures left. They are currently at the top of the table with 84 points.
Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Ancelotti has confirmed that Guler will start on Saturday against Cadiz.
"Arda Güler will START tomorrow." Ancelotti said.
Arda Guler joined Real Madrid in July 2023 from the Turkish club Fenerbahçe. The club triggered his release clause by reportedly paying €20 million. The youngster reportedly chose to join the Los Blancos over their rivals Barcelona, who were also in the race to sign him last summer.
Arda Guler's statistics for Real Madrid in the 2023-24 season explored
Arda Guler started the season with several injuries, and only made his debut in a Los Blancos shirt in January 2024 in the Copa Del Rey against Arandina. Although Guler didn't score, the team went on to win the match 3-1.
He made his debut in the La Liga against Las Palmas, when Ancelotti brought him in at the 81st minute as a substitute for Rodrygo. The Turkish attacker scored his first goal for Real Madrid against Celta Vigo in stoppage time, as the team went on to win the match 4-0.
On April 26, Guler made his first start for the club and scored at the 29th minute against Real Sociedad, leading his team to a 1-0 victory. He has two goals in 10 appearances for the club in this season as of writing.
Despite his performance, there have been reports suggesting that the Los Blancos are looking to send the player on loan. However, coach Carlo Ancelotti denied such reports following the club's 1-0 win over Real Sociedad, insisting that he will stay at the club in the next season (via ESPN).
"Arda will be a very important player for us in the future. There's no doubt that he stays here next year." Ancelotti said.
Real Madrid will face Cadiz, Granada, Deportivo Alaves, Villareal, and Real Betis in their remaining five league games. They are also gearing up to face Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu for the Champions League semifinal second leg tie on May 9.