Arda Guler agrees new Real Madrid contract after emergence as key Mourinho player

Arda Guler is set to sign a new Real Madrid contract running until 2031 after agreeing to improved terms.

The Turkish international’s current deal expires in 2029, but Madrid have moved to reward his rapid development and increasingly important role in the first team.

According to AS, the new agreement is being formalised and will include a significant salary increase reflecting Guler’s elevated status within the squad.

The revised contract is expected to take effect from the beginning of the current campaign.

Guler joined Madrid from Fenerbahce in 2023 as an 18-year-old prospect and initially required time to adapt following an injury-disrupted start in Spain.

The 21-year-old established himself as a major contributor last season, recording six goals and 14 assists across 51 appearances.

UEFA also recognised his development by naming him the Champions League Breakthrough Player for 2025/26.

Guler made 14 appearances in the competition, starting 13 times. He bagged two goals and three assists during Madrid’s European campaign.

Those performances have helped transform him from a highly rated young talent into an important member of manager Jose Mourinho’s plans.

He has primarily used Guler closer to goal rather than as a conventional central midfielder, believing his creativity and technical quality can make a greater difference in advanced areas.

Guler started Madrid’s recent La Liga defeat to Real Betis alongside Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde and created two early chances with dangerous deliveries into the penalty area.

Mourinho’s squad also contains Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, but Guler is increasingly being treated as a different attacking profile rather than simply another midfield option.

Madrid’s decision to renegotiate a contract that still had three years remaining is therefore a significant statement of confidence.

The club are effectively recognising that Guler’s role now bears little resemblance to the one envisaged when he arrived from Turkey.