Among the tactical shifts taking shape under José Mourinho at the Santiago Bernabéu, none is more transformative than the decision to liberate Arda Güler from the right touchline and reposition him as Real Madrid’s primary central playmaker.
According to reports from Goal [citing Defansa Central], while Mourinho is implementing positional adjustments across his squad, his tactical redesign of Güler’s role represents the core engine behind Madrid’s evolved build-up play.
Unlocking the Line-Breaking Engine
For much of his early Bernabéu tenure, Güler was deployed on the right wing—a position that limited his vertical vision and restricted him to wide combinations. Recognizing that the 21-year-old Turkish international possesses rare line-breaking technique, Mourinho has granted him total tactical license to abandon the flank and dictate play directly through central pockets:
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Central Hub: Moving inside allows Güler to face the pitch, receive on the half-turn, and feed vertical passes into attacking runs.
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The Valverde Synergy: To accommodate Güler drifting inside without sacrificing width, Mourinho shifted Fede Valverde to right-back. Valverde’s box-to-box engine provides overlapping runs down the wing, leaving Güler free to conduct the tempo centrally.
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Breaking Low Blocks: Against stubborn domestic low blocks, Güler’s unselfish positioning and quick vision allow Los Blancos to bypass packed midfields rather than relying on endless crosses.
From Potential Prospect to Tactical Cornerstone
Güler’s display against Villarreal—where he finished with the most progressive passes on the pitch—served as proof of concept for Mourinho’s vision.
By demanding high tactical discipline out of possession while granting total creative control on the ball, Mourinho has transformed Güler from a high-potential talent into the indispensable creative pulse of Real Madrid’s midfield.
