Arda Güler

Arda Güler (Turkish pronunciation: [aɾˈda ˈɟylæɾ] ; born 25 February 2005) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Turkey national team. He is regarded as one of the best young players in the world.

Güler began his senior career with the Turkish club Fenerbahçe in 2021, where he won the Turkish Cup in 2023. In 2023, Güler signed with Real Madrid. In his inaugural season with the Spanish giants, he won the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

At the international level, Güler made his senior debut for Turkey in 2022. He was a member of the squad for UEFA Euro 2024 and played a key role in the team's run to the quarter-finals.

Club career

Early career

Güler started his youth career at Ankara-based club Gençlerbirliği, in 2014. Arda Güler was discovered by Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe on 20 February 2019, when he was only 13 years old, and was included in the youth squad. Güler, who has played in all of the Fenerbahçe youth teams including U-15, U-16 and U-19, first started playing for the Fenerbahçe U-15 team in the 2018-19 season, and was taken to the U-16 team in 2020 and the U19 team in 2021. He contributed 7 goals and 4 assists in 18 matches for the Fenerbahçe U-19 team. He made 3 goals and 1 assist in the U-19 Play-Off quarterfinal match, and thus attracted attention as the top scorer in that season's Play-Off.

In July 2021, Güler began waiting for his place in the Fenerbahçe’s first team.

Fenerbahçe

Güler signed a two-and-a-half-year-long professional contract with Fenerbahçe on 13 January 2021. He was considered as a wonderkid and seen as a big prospect for the future.