Jose Mourinho believes Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler could eventually move into a deeper role in the same way as Luka Modric and Bernardo Silva.
Guler, who joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2023, has scored 18 goals and supplied 24 assists in 112 appearances for Los Blancos. Although the 21-year-old has mainly operated as an attacking midfielder, Mourinho expects his position to change as he develops and gains a greater understanding of the game.
“I love Guler,” Mourinho told El Chiringuito.
“I think something similar to what happened to Modric or Bernardo Silva will happen to him; you start in one position and end up in another, you start as a number 10 and you’ll end up as an eight or a six.
“I think Arda will go in that direction with his evolution and his understanding of the game.”
Guler has already established himself as one of Real Madrid’s most productive creative players. Only Vinicius Junior, with 35 assists, Jude Bellingham, with 32, and Federico Valverde, with 28, have registered more assists than him across the past three seasons.
However, each of those three players has made at least 28 more appearances than Guler during that period.
The Turkiye international led Real Madrid for both assists and chances created last season, including the Club World Cup. He finished the campaign with 16 assists and created 119 chances.
Guler also scored for Turkiye at the 2026 World Cup, finding the net in their only victory of the tournament so far a 3-2 win against co-hosts United States.
His performances have continued to attract attention during pre-season under Mourinho, with Guler providing assists in victories over Schalke and Leganes.
Real Madrid begin their LaLiga campaign on Saturday against Espanyol at RCDE Stadium. Guler’s prospects of starting that match remain uncertain, with Jude Bellingham returning from an extended break.
Summer signing Yan Diomande also featured in Real Madrid’s final pre-season game against Schalke, adding further competition for places in midfield and attack.
Mourinho’s prediction would see Guler follow a path already taken by two highly regarded midfielders. Modric began his career in a more advanced role before becoming one of the outstanding deep-lying midfielders of his generation, while Bernardo Silva has also increasingly operated from deeper positions after initially establishing himself as an attacking player.
For now, Guler remains most closely associated with the number 10 role, but Mourinho believes the young midfielder’s technical ability and developing tactical awareness could allow him to play as an eight or even a six later in his career.
