Turkish wonderkid, Arda Güler, has the potential to be “even better” than England and Real Madrid ace, Jude Bellingham, according to the 21-year-old himself. Bellingham alerted people within the football industry to Güler’s potential at the 2023 Golden Boy Awards, which he landed with a record-breaking point total from the independent jury.
The award’s founder, Massimo Franchi, recently disclosed his face-to-face conversation with Bellingham at the 2023 ceremony. Franchi said that Jude was hopeful that his younger brother, Jobe, would be in the conversation for the 2024 Golden Boy Award. He went on to mention his new teammate, Güler, admitting that he demonstrated “incredible things in training” for one so young. The fact that Bellingham is willing to highlight the talents of his peers after picking up such an award is a nod to his all-round modesty.
Jude Bellingham Is a Great Role Model for European Football Fans
Bellingham has already established himself as one of the most promising English prospects in football right now, if not the most. He’s taken to life at Real Madrid like a duck to water, embracing the new culture of Spain’s capital city, despite being in the spotlight of the traditional press and social media.
Given his meteoric rise to stardom, it’s little surprise that the social media generation follow him more than any other member of England’s Euro 2024 squad. He has over 31.5 million Instagram followers and is reportedly paid over £65,000 for every sponsored Insta post – more than twice the average UK annual salary. That’s according to casinoalpha, who explored the social media presence and earning potential of England’s star footballers in the digital age on their blog before the start of Euro 2024.
Arda Güler: Right Player, Wrong Time for Real Madrid?
As for Güler, the 19-year-old is considered a diamond for the Turkish national team in the same way Bellingham’s viewed by the Three Lions. He left Fenerbahçe for Real Madrid in the summer of 2023. It was a mark of Güler’s respect for his former employer that he requested Real Madrid paid over his €17.5m minimum fee release clause to ensure Fener got maximum value for his sale. Real surprisingly agreed, paying €20m upfront, with additional clauses attached.
In the 2023-24 La Liga season, Güler’s appearances in the Real Madrid first team were limited. His boss, Carlo Ancelotti, could only ease him into the fold sparingly, handing him 10 appearances across the campaign due to the sheer competition for places. Amazingly, Güler managed six goals in those ten games, earning him further call-ups to the Turkish senior squad.
It looks like Güler will be integral to Turkey’s potential at Euro 2024. He got on the scoresheet in the team’s opening group stage game, which ended in a 2-1 victory over Georgia.