Manchester City are in a three-horse race along with Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen for the signing of Real Madrid starlet Arda Guler.
One of the hottest talents in Europe, Arda Guler, 19, caught the attention of the world with his dazzling performances for Fenerbahce. Several top clubs tried to sign him from Fenerbahce but it was Real Madrid who won the race for the Turkish talent’s signature last summer.
The teenager had a stop-start debut season at Real Madrid due to injury problems, although he ended up lifting the La Liga title and the Champions League trophy while scoring six goals in 12 appearances. Now fully fit, Guler has struggled to break into Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI. He has started just three La Liga games thus far and is understood to be frustrated with a lack of minutes.
Should the situation doesn’t change by the end of the 2024/25 season, the Turkish international will look to pursue a career away from the Spanish capital. Manchester City are reportedly keeping tabs on Guler’s situation at Madrid and could pounce on him if he is made available for loan or sale next year.
Man City planning for Kevin de Bruyne replacement
Kevin de Bruyne has etched his name in the Man City history books. He has been an unbelievable servant for City, playing a key role during the club’s treble success in the 2022/23 season. Overall, the Belgian has won 14 major honours during his decade-long stay at the Etihad Stadium while establishing himself as one of the Premier League greats.
However, De Bruyne is not the force he was during his peak years, and over the last couple of years, he has been struggling with a lot of injuries. The 33-year-old has been out for a month now and Pep Guardiola expects him to be out for “some time”.
The Belgium international is slowly heading into the twilight of his career and the time is right for the Sky Blues to sign his long-term replacement. Man City are interested in Arda Guler in case De Bruyne departs at the end of the season amid links with Saudi Arabian clubs.
The Ankara-born wide attacker is a sublime talent with huge potential which City want to tap into. They view Guler as a long-term investment who would not only replace De Bruyne but also upgrade quality in the engine room for several years. That being said, everything depends on what happens with Guler from now on and until the end of the campaign at Madrid.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.