Barcelona midfielder İlkay Gündoğan has heaped praise on Real Madrid’s young star Arda Güler after the pre-season friendly encounter in the USA.

The German international, who arrived at the Camp Nou this summer, was speaking to reporters during a recent trip to Istanbul.

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When asked about the Turkish prodigy, Gündoğan expressed his admiration for Güler’s talent and character.

“Arda Güler? I like him a lot. He’s a very characterful boy. I hope he will go on to bigger and better things. He’s already in a very big club like Real Madrid. We will play against each other and we are very competitive,” he said.

Güler started in the 2-1 defeat against Barcelona last week and is expected to play an important role in the Real team this season.

Gündoğan who is of Turkish origin regularly visits the country of his family and has is a popular celebrity over there.

The two midfielders are set to face off in the upcoming La Liga season, with Gündoğan acknowledging the intense rivalry between the two clubs. However, he also praised Güler’s potential and wished him well for the future.

The public admiration between the two rising stars of European football adds an extra layer of intrigue to the upcoming El Clásico clashes.

Güler broke into the Real side after a lengthy spell on the sidelines out injured and also had an impressive Euro 2024 campaign for Turkey, scoring and providing two assists.

The Turkish national side reached the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time in 16 years.