Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti appears to be feeling relatively positive about the squad at his disposal this season, despite the loss of Karim Benzema.
Ancelotti explained after Los Blancos landed in Los Angeles that he felt they were better equipped this season than last, with the additions of Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, Fran Garcia, Joselu Mato and Brahim Diaz.
One of the key reasons is the early showings in training from the 18-year-old Turkish talent Arda Guler. Relevo say that while normally it will take arriving players, especially those who are younger, a little time to pick up the Real Madrid rhythm, that has not been a problem for Guler.
They go on to report Ancelotti has been pleasantly surprised by Guler, and in particular his talent for supplying the final pass. Having won the respect of both the coaching staff and the squad, Ancelotti is now planning on giving him important playing time this season.
Of course, preseason should always be taken with a pinch of salt. Guler is yet to perform even in friendlies, let alone La Liga. Just a year ago, Ancelotti was also publicly telling the press that Eden Hazard would be Benzema’s back-up, an experiment that lasted all of two games.
However there is no doubt that the noises coming out of the Real Madrid camp are unusually positive about such a young player.
