Real Madrid attacking midfielder Arda Guler is already being compared to Mesut Ozil under Jose Mourinho, with Madridistas even higher on what the Turkish international can do this coming season under the legendary Portuguese manager after firing off a career high nine assists in La Liga despite 2025/26 being a down season for Real as a whole.
Mourinho is planning on using Guler in a potentially deeper playmaking role, though he also has designs on Guler in that 10 spot, like the one Ozil occupied behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the early 2010s. Here are three different midfield setups for the three different ways Mou could use Guler in the 2026/27 campaign.
LDM Bernardo Silva - RDM Arda Guler - AM Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid could play Arda Guler deeper and off to the right of the formation where can spray passes across the field with his left foot as a playmaking 6, while Bernardo Silva is the ball carrying eight, using his left foot to carry ball towards the left of the pitch. And then in front of them, Jude Bellingham can play almost like he did in the 2023/24 season, crashing the box almost like another support striker so that Kylian Mbappe can fluidly move around the pitch without Real Madrid losing their goal scoring threat inside the penalty area.
LCM Jude Bellingham - DM Aurelien Tchouameni - RCM Arda Guler
Jude Bellingham is a locked in starter for Real Madrid no matter the formation or role, and he and Arda Guler are actually better together than apart, contrary to what some extreme fans want people to think. Guler could operate off the right side of the midfield in a 4-3-3 similar to what Toni Kroos did on the left side for years, pulling the strings and setting the tempo for Real Madrid in a bigger role as a conductor with Aurelien Tchouameni screening defensively both behind him and Jude.
LCM Jude Bellingham - RCM Fede Valverde - AM Arda Guler
The last tactical plan and role for Guler under Jose Mourinho is the one he has pretty much almost always been playing for Real Madrid, especially last season, and that would be the No. 10 role. If Real Madrid want to stack up their lineup with their absolute best midfielders, then this is the way to go, with Fede and Jude aggressively covering back and forth in both directions while Guler sits in the hole behind Mbappe and sprays out passes for assists.
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