Latest developments
- Arsenal considering signing Arda Guler on loan
- The Gunners are struggling with form this season
- Guler not getting the required minutes at Real Madrid
Whisper+ analysis
Authenticity (4/5): SPORT generally reliable with stories
Real Madrid signed Guler in the summer of 2023 after stealing the Turkish midfielder from Barcelona. However, the 19-year-old has not had the first team minutes that he would have been expecting at Santiago Bernabeu over the last year and a half.
Spanish publication SPORT have reported that Premier League giants Arsenal are considering signing Guler on loan in January as Mikel Arteta’s side have been struggling to maintain form.
SPORT are a generally reliable source for Spanish transfer news and there is no reason to suspect otherwise for this report.
Value (5/5): Loan deal for a promising midfielder
Guler is not happy at Madrid so far and the Spanish giants may be open to letting the Turkey international leave the club this winter on loan. There will likely be no buy clauses included in the transfer as he is highly rated by the La Liga champions.
For Arsenal, this will be a very good and cheap deal as they will get a top midfielder in their ranks who could potentially help the Gunners have a shot at getting back in the title race.
Suitability (4.5/5): An attacking midfielder that Arteta needs
So far this season, Arsenal have had trouble creating chances in matches despite being dominant in midfield. A midfielder like Guler would be highly helpful for the Gunners when it comes to chance creation.
Arteta has been forced to play Declan Rice as a number eight due to a lack of midfielders that can pose a threat to the opposition's goal. As such, they could place Guler alongside Martin Odegaard and allow Rice to drop back into the number six position.
Upgrade? (4/5): Merino and Guler will fight for one spot
Arteta already knew that the team might have troubles going forward earlier this year, and therefore asked Arsenal to sign Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad. However, the Spaniard has not had the same impact that Odegaard has had so far.
If the Gunners were to sign Guler in the winter he would likely battle against the Merino for a shot at playing alongside Odegaard. The Turkey international is not an outright upgrade to the Spaniard, however, adding competition to the squad may help the team perform better.
Logic (2.5/5): Valuable experience for Guler
Part of the reason why Guler has not had a lot of minutes under Carlo Ancelotti this season has been because of his lack of experience. As such a move to a top team on loan will be beneficial to the midfielder as it may help him get a shot at making the first team.
Additionally, it will also benefit Arsenal for the rest of the season.
Whisper+ final verdict – 19.5/25
If Arsenal have the chance to sign Guler in January, they should do so without any hesitation as it will be highly beneficial to the underperforming side. As for Real Madrid, they should also likely not have any issues with the loan move as it would help Guler develop further and potentially break into the starting eleven for Los Blancos next season.
