Arda Güler is back ahead of the rest of Real Madrid’s World Cup players, and that gives José Mourinho an immediate look at one of the squad’s most watched young attackers. The club said Güler passed his preseason medicals on Monday and would rejoin training later the same day. He was already in ball-work sessions under Mourinho by the time the first day was done.
Mourinho gets an early read on Güler
The timing matters because Güler was the first of Real Madrid’s World Cup participants to return to pre-season training. He reported to Valdebebas on Monday, got his medicals out of the way and was straight into work on the pitch. That is a useful head start for a player trying to push himself into a bigger role before the squad is back together.
The World Cup return was not a long one, but it was a decent one. Güler made 3 appearances and posted a 7.12 rating across the tournament. Turkiye went out in the group stage, yet he still managed one goal, against the United States. Those are not empty minutes, and they at least give Mourinho something more useful than a cold restart.
The fight for places is already there
There is a reason this early return matters beyond the optics of being first through the door. AS reported that Güler is one of the players Mourinho has been particularly eager to work with, but the competition around him is real. Mourinho is expected to use a 4-2-3-1 system, with Güler and Bernardo Silva competing for a starting spot on the right flank or in midfield.
That is the sharper part of the story. Güler has the first look, but he does not have the place to himself. Real Madrid’s first pre-season friendly is against Leganés on July 28, which gives Mourinho only a short window to sort out those roles before the matches start arriving.
Güler has taken the first step cleanly. The next one is convincing Mourinho that the early minutes at Valdebebas should lead to more than a quick glance.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
