Arda Guler is the future! Toni Kroos says Real Madrid will rely on Turkish youngster 'for many years' as ex-midfielder praises effective use of his 'delicate touch'

Since Xabi Alonso's appointment as the new head coach of Real Madrid at the end of May, things have been looking bright for Guler. After spending much of the 2024-25 season out of the starting lineup under former boss Carlo Ancelotti, Guler was handed the keys to the midfield at the Club World Cup – Alonso's first assignment after taking over Madrid's reins. The flamboyant left-footed midfielder was thoroughly impressive in the tournament in a new role which saw him played a bit deeper in central midfield as opposed to the right wing. 

Since the start of the 2025-26 season, Guler's star has only improved. He has earned an increasingly prominent role in the midfield and has become a shoo-in in Alonso's setup, despite the presence of more established figures such as Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga. He won La Liga's Under-23 Player of the Month award in September, and has played in each of the 16 games Madrid have played this season, 14 of those as a starter.

Madrid are lacking experienced figures in the midfield, with Kroos retiring from the sport in 2024 and Luka Modric leaving as a free agent to join AC Milan earlier this year. However, the 35-year-old is glad to see Guler, his former team-mate, get more minutes under his belt this season.

"I'm happy that he's getting significantly more playing time this year for the first time, because he deserves it based on his footballing ability and he's a lad we can count on in the future," the ex-German international told Sport1. 

However, Kroos believes that comparing Guler to him is not the right thing to do, with the former insisting that the latter is much more effective a bit higher up the field.

"But I don't believe in comparisons," he added. "Arda is also a different type of player than me. His best position is much more attacking than mine, so it's not about me succeeding him at all. But I'm generally pleased because he's a good lad. I've played alongside him. He has a really delicate touch, which he's already used very effectively for Real this season. That's why I hope he continues to get consistent playing time, because that's the only way to improve. Then I'm sure he can make his mark at Real for many years to come."

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Speaking to reporters after the 1-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League last month, Los Blancos manager Alonso had words of praise for Guler, signalling that he remains fully determined to develop the 20-year-old despite obvious room for improvement. 

“Arda is in the process of improving everything," he said. "He’s 20 years old and has already played a few games for Madrid. With his age and quality, we have to support him. He needs to improve his decision-making and pressing, but he has a lot of good qualities. He gives great meaning to the game. When he’s involved, we have a better team dynamic. Where? It depends on what’s around him or what the game demands. I’m very happy with his progress, but we want more. He really enjoys playing football. He wants to find the pass, take the free kick... Wirtz was like that at Leverkusen. He’s young, but he’s a great player. He’s in the process, but at a high level.”

Guler has shown immense promise ever since he was moved to a deeper position on the field. His on-field partnership with Kylian Mbappe has drawn parallels to the chemistry Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo shared during their time at the club. “I like the comparisons between Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil and Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler," he said recently. "They’ve achieved great things, but significant success is always achieved by a team, never just two players."

Mbappe has been in breathtaking form this season, scoring 18 goals in all competitions. He has scored 12 non-penalty goals, of which six have been assisted by Guler. On days when they have linked beautifully, Madrid have been a treat to watch. It's fair to say that the duo will be extremely crucial to Madrid's chances of lifting major silverware at the end of the season.