“They believe in his talent” - Ex-Real Madrid star claims club consulted with him before signing Arda Guler

Former Real Madrid midfielder Hamit Altintop has claimed that the club reached out to him before signing Turkish sensation Arda Guler. The retired Turkey international spent one year with Los Blancos, playing 12 games in the 2011-12 season and scoring once.

Guler joined the Spanish giants last summer from boyhood club Fenerbahce for €20 million. He made 12 appearances for Madrid in the 2023-24 season, scoring six goals while also winning La Liga and the Champions League success.

Speaking in a recent interview, Altintop shared how confident he was that Guler would have a long and successful career with Real Madrid, saying (via The Madrid Zone):

"Real Madrid consulted with me before signing Arda Güler. They gave him a 6-year contract, do you know what that means? That means they believe in him & his talent. Arda will definitely be important for Real in the future, if not now."

Guler is currently representing Turkey at the ongoing Euro 2024 in Germany. He has made eight appearances for the national team, scoring two goals.

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Real Madrid star Arda Guler on the scoresheet for Turkey at Euro 2024

Real Madrid star, Arda Guler was on hand to help his country secure a 3-1 victory over Georgia in their opening game at Euro 2024. He scored a stunner in the 65th minute to give his side the lead.

Turkey opened the scoring in the 25th minute through Mert Muldur after the right-back latched onto a poor clearance. The Turks thought they doubled their lead two minutes later after Guler found Kenan Yildiz in the box, but VAR intervened to cancel the goal.

Georgia bagged an equalizer in the 32nd minute through Georges Mikautadze. The Metz striker finished a fine team move to dispatch an inch-perfect pass from Giorgi Kochorashvili. The goal meant both teams went into the break level on the scoreboard.

Real Madrid star Arda Guler made his mark on the game in the 65th minute with a curled shot from outside the box, undoubtedly one of the best goals in the tournament so far. Turkey held on to their lead despite intense pressure from Georgia and finally secured the win with a 97th-minute strike from Kerem Akturkoglu.

Turkey will be keen to build on their victory on the opening day and secure qualification to the next stage of Euro 2024. They next face Portugal on June 22 in Dortmund.