The first days of preseason are not supposed to settle any major arguments. But Arda Güler is making that look outdated very quickly. Real Madrid have barely been back in the work, and already the message from inside training is clear enough: he is standing out, and José Mourinho is paying attention.
That matters because this is not just about a bright few sessions. It is about momentum, trust and timing. Güler finished last season as one of Real Madrid’s most notable players, and the numbers explain why. He played 51 matches, scored 6 goals and delivered 14 assists. He also produced 8 key assists for Kylian Mbappé, which is the sort of detail that tells you he was not just busy, but influential.
Why the early buzz matters
The reported verdict from the coaching staff was as enthusiastic as it gets: “Güler está volando!” That is not the kind of language reserved for a player merely going through the motions. It suggests a footballer who has come back sharp, confident and ready to force the issue when La Liga begins.
There is also a very obvious reason Mourinho may already trust him. He knew Güler from a previous attempt to sign him on loan at Fenerbahçe, so this is not a manager discovering a name on a spreadsheet after a few training drills. He has seen enough to believe there is a real role for him, and now the job is to turn that belief into minutes on the pitch.
Of course, preseason praise can disappear fast once the competitive games start. Real Madrid have competition everywhere, and the path to a starting place is never simple. But Güler already has two useful advantages: he ended last season strongly, and he returned early enough to make an impression in the first days of preparation. In a squad where every position is a fight, that is not nothing.
He was also denied a full finish to the campaign after injury, which makes this strong start even more important. If he is healthy, sharp and already trusted, then the opening weeks of the season could tell us a great deal about where he stands in the pecking order. Right now, the signs are positive. Very positive. And at Real Madrid, that is how a player starts turning preseason noise into a real claim for La Liga.
