José Mourinho’s Vision for Arda Güler at Real Madrid

José Mourinho already sees Arda Güler’s future unfolding along a familiar, elite path.

"I love Arda. I think something similar will happen to Arda to what happened to Luka (Modric) and Bernardo (Silva): you start at the front and finish at the back," the Portuguese coach said, laying out a clear vision for the young Turk.

Mourinho didn’t stop there. He drew the map in detail.

"You start as a number 10, as an attacking player, and end up as a number 8, then as a number 6. I believe Arda will go down that path given his development and his understanding of the game."

Güler’s place in a reshaped Madrid

After a season that fell short of Real Madrid’s own standards, Mourinho has walked into a demanding brief in the Spanish capital: rebuild the squad, integrate big-name arrivals, and reignite those already in the dressing room.

Arda Güler is very much part of that puzzle.

Signed from Fenerbahce in 2023 for around 28 million euros, Güler arrived as one of Europe’s brightest prospects. The breakthrough, though, has been slow. In a squad stacked with stars and established internationals, his role has shifted, his minutes limited, his impact sporadic.

Under Mourinho, that uncertainty seems to be fading. A defined position is starting to emerge.

With Toni Kroos and Luka Modric gone, Madrid have been left without a classic deep-lying playmaker, the kind of midfielder who dictates rhythm from the base and knits everything together. Their attempt to bring in World Cup winner Rodri fell apart when the Spaniard chose Barcelona instead.

The current core in central midfield – players like Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni – bring power, energy, and defensive presence, but none naturally fit the profile of a pure tempo-setter.

That gap could be Güler’s opening. A move from advanced creator to deeper orchestrator might be his route to regular football at the Bernabéu.

Mourinho’s faith in Bernardo Silva

On the same programme, Mourinho also turned to another key piece of his new Madrid: Bernardo Silva, who joined Los Blancos despite strong interest from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

"He is a Pep Guardiola player and gives you everything. I hope we will have few problems and a lot of stability. If we have few problems and a lot of stability, then for me today Bernardo is a player for central midfield. But Bernardo can play as a number 10, on the right wing, drift inside. Bernardo can play anywhere," Mourinho said.

The admiration is long-standing and, as he stressed, purely football-driven.

"He is a player I have loved forever. It has nothing to do with Barcelona wanting him, Atletico wanting him. Nothing to do with us stealing him because our neighbour would then be sad. It was my conviction that Bernardo matches Real Madrid's level."

Between a reshaped midfield, a world-class new signing in Bernardo, and a carefully drawn development path for Arda Güler, Mourinho’s Real Madrid is being built from the centre out. The question now is simple: who seizes that space and makes it their own?