'turkish Messi' Ready To Replace Modric At Real Madrid

As Real Madrid hole to look Juventus successful nan Club World Cup connected Tuesday (20:00 BST), it appears 1 rising prima is already a cardinal fig for caller leader Xabi Alonso.

Nicknamed 'the Turkish Messi', Arda Guler struggled to unrecorded up to nan hype past play nether Carlo Ancelotti, but nan 20-year-old is enjoying a caller lease of life pursuing nan presence of nan Italian's replacement.

BBC Sport examines nan rise, autumn and resurgence of a subordinate blessed pinch capable talent to go 1 of nan world's best.

This clip past year, Guler looked poised to return a pivotal domiciled successful nan regeneration of Real's midfield.

The erstwhile Fenerbahce starlet had vanished his first play successful Spain successful good style, scoring six goals successful conscionable 10 La Liga appearances to assistance his team's title triumph.

Guler further impressed astatine Euro 2024 for Turkey, astir notably pinch a extremity of nan tourney contender arsenic he showcased his soft method by curling location a delicious 25-yard onslaught against Georgia.

Right then, he appeared fresh to travel successful nan footsteps of Real team-mates for illustration Vinicius Jr, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga: teenage recruits from overseas who were signed for their immense imaginable and quickly blossomed into cardinal performers.

But it didn't happen. Instead, 2024-25 turned into a mislaid season.

Ancelotti seldom trusted Guler successful large games, pinch his deficiency of value underlined erstwhile he was an unused substitute for some legs of Real's Champions League quarter-final exit to Arsenal.

Guler vanished nan play pinch little than 1,800 minutes played successful each competitions – nan squad's second-lowest tally (aside from semipermanent wounded absentees) – to spark speculation he whitethorn activity to revive his profession by leaving Madrid.

But past came Ancelotti's departure, Alonso's appointment, and truthful acold cipher has benefited much than Guler.

Part of Guler's problem successful establishing himself nether Ancelotti was uncertainty complete his champion position.

The youngster flitted betwixt a cardinal domiciled and nan right-wing berth that he occupied during his early days – which besides gave emergence to nan comparisons pinch Lionel Messi, for his expertise to trim wrong and sprout aliases create pinch his cultured near foot.

Guler himself has stated a penchant for playing inside, wherever he has much opportunities to touch nan shot and power play.

Alonso agrees, stating nan subordinate "needs to beryllium adjacent to nan ball", and selecting him successful that domiciled for Real's past 2 group games - victories complete Pachuca and RB Salzburg - pinch Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos and Brahim Diaz near connected nan bench.

Granted his wish, Guler responded pinch a brace of good performances. After netting nan 2nd extremity against Pachuca he was besides instrumental successful downing nan Austrians, completing much passes than immoderate different subordinate during his clip connected nan field.

In some those games, Guler was replaced midway done nan 2nd half by Modric. It felt symbolic: nan aged maestro relegated to nan domiciled of understudy, tasked pinch protecting nan power reserves of nan man who has taken his place.

Modric will time off Real instantly aft nan Club World Cup, pinch AC Milan his apt destination. Current grounds suggests Alonso has replaced him already.

Wolves leader Vitor Pereira is among those convinced Guler will go a world superstar – and he knows amended than most.

The Portuguese gave Guler, past conscionable 16, his debut pinch Fenerbahce successful 2021, and recalls he was instantly alert of nan youngster's uncommon ability.

"He reminded maine of James Rodriguez erstwhile I coached him astatine nan property of 19, precocious arrived astatine Porto," Pereira told Spanish newspaper Marca past week. "They are 2 players pinch exceptional talent.

"He [Guler] was a boy among men, but each clip he received nan shot he recovered nan last pass. And if he made a mistake, he asked for nan shot backmost to effort again."

Pereira doesn't judge nan comparison pinch Messi has overmuch merit, alternatively agreeing pinch nan subordinate himself – and apparently Alonso – that he should beryllium fixed nan cardinal midfield domiciled antecedently occupied by Modric.

"I ever saw him much arsenic an 8 aliases a 10 because of his expertise to unbalance guidance betwixt nan lines," he added.

"He's intelligent, he looks for solutions earlier he receives nan ball, he tin play agelong aliases short, he tin make nan last walk aliases sprout from agelong range.

"He understands nan crippled and ever wants to cognize more. I tin decidedly spot him playing alternatively of Modric."

And nan difficulties encountered by Guler past play person done thing to dampen Pereira's expectations of his erstwhile player's potential.

"Coming to Real Madrid, pinch truthful galore top-quality players, isn't easy," he concluded. "But he'll find his place. I person nary uncertainty his early has large things successful store. He's sewage nan value and mentality to go a main protagonist."

Less than a period into Alonso's reign, that process is already unfolding.

And if he shines successful nan last-16 necktie against Juventus, it would beryllium different motion Guler is fresh to return nan shot world by storm.