Güler: “Going out on loan doesn’t enter into my thinking, I’ve come here to play”

On Friday afternoon, Real Madrid held the presentation of their new signing Arda Güler at Valdebebas. The 18-year-old Turkey international started off by giving a short speech from the podium, where he said: “I want to thank everyone who brought me to this moment and I thank the president for his kind words. I want to become a club legend here.”

Güler on picking Real Madrid over Barcelona

Güler then appeared in the press room and held his first press conference as a Real Madrid player. There, he was asked why he picked Real Madrid over Barcelona and said: “Many clubs wanted to sign me and we were in contact with many of them, but Real Madrid was my preference. When Real Madrid expressed interest, the other offers weren’t as interesting. I want to give this club all my talent.”

Güler on his preferred position

Asked about his preferred position, he said: “I can play centrally or wide, but I don’t mind where I play. I want to earn minutes here. I like to be an offensive player and create goals or goalscoring situations. I’ll play where the coach wants me to play.”

Güler on the possibility of going out on loan

There were multiple questions about whether Güler will go out on loan, but he was adamant in stating that he isn’t considering that. He said: “I rule out that possibility. I want to stay here. Going out on loan doesn’t enter into my thinking. I’ve come here to play and I’ll play. There are many good players here, but I feel I’m ready to play here. I’m going to give my all to earn my place in the squad. The coach called me a few times and told me where I’d play.”

Güler on his Real Madrid idols

The youngster then spoke about his idols growing up, stating: “Real Madrid has an impressive history. I remember the Champions League finals, watching them with my friends. They have had so many great players, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Mesut Özil, Guti… For me, Luka Modrić is the best midfielder in the world and I think I’ll learn a lot from him. I want to also form part of this history.”

Güler on his advice from Özil

On his relationship with Mesut Özil, given that he shared a dressing room with the former Real Madrid player in Fenerbahçe, Güler said: “He told me that it’s the biggest club in the world. He always spoke very well of the club and gave me advice.”

Florentino Pérez’s speech about Arda Güler

The Real Madrid president also spoke at the player presentation held on Friday, explaining: “Whenever a new player arrives to strengthen our team, it brings joy to the millions of fans who are passionate about Real Madrid in every corner of the world. Today we continue to strengthen the present and the future of our squad. We continue to work on a sporting project that we consider strategic and fundamental to be able to repeat the successes we have achieved in recent years. That is why today we are welcoming a youngster who dreams of achieving success in the world of football and at Real Madrid. He is a player with enormous talent and he was wanted by many big European football clubs. And, today we welcome Arda Güler as a new Real Madrid player.”

The president then turned to the player, addressing him directly by stating: “Arda, your talent and hard work have brought you to most beloved and admired club in the world. From today, you are a Real Madrid player. Welcome and thank you for choosing this club to write your story. At just 18 years of age, you have already fulfilled one of the greatest dreams of your life. Here, you will continue to grow, not only in football but also in the values of hard work, self-improvement, sacrifice, commitment, respect, humility, solidarity and never giving up. You already understand the responsibility of playing for a great club, as you did so at a club we are friends with, Fenerbahçe. Now, you have the biggest challenge of your career ahead of you. The Santiago Bernabéu awaits you. There you will find a fanbase that will support you until the end. You will experience emotions that you will never forget and that’s what brought you to Real Madrid. You wanted to experience the feeling of playing for Real Madrid and now you are starting to make that dream come true. Welcome to your new home.”