Turkish national team manager Vincenzo Montella expressed his desire for midfielder Arda Guler to see more playing time at Real Madrid. Montella views the young player as crucial to Turkey’s success in the upcoming Euros.
“It would benefit Real Madrid, the national team, and Arda Guler himself if he played a bit more,” Montella said.
READ: Who is Arda Guler? The 18-year-old ‘Turkish Messi’ Wanted by Europe’s Biggest Clubs
He confirmed that Guler is likely to start in the upcoming friendly match against Austria. However, Montella cautioned against rushing Guler back into action too quickly.
“Honestly, I feel like we’re trying to create problems where there aren’t any,” Montella said. “Arda is a player we want to see on the pitch. He’ll likely start the next game. But let me ask this: a player who hasn’t been a regular for eight months… do we need to risk him?”
Montella urged for a measured approach. “We shouldn’t get carried away. I understand everyone’s excitement, but we need to be logical. We want to keep an eye on everyone, evaluate all our options.
“There were no negative intentions behind my comments,” he concluded.
Guler made a brief appearance off the bench in the 1-0 defeat against Hungary on Friday which resulted in questions being asked in the Turkish media regarding why he did not start.
Montella has urged for the media and fans to calm down and stop putting unnecessary pressure on the young player; he has had injury problems and is gradually returning to playing more regularly.
It appears the Turkish national team head coach does have plans for Guler and believes it would be in both Turkiye and Real’s best interests if the gets more playing time from now until the end of the season.
The 19-year-old is likely to be part of the Turkish national team Euro 2024 setup.
