Tottenham forced to abandon deal to sign 'next Martin Odegaard' with a goal every 50 mins

Tottenham have been linked with a player whose development arc has been compared with Martin Odegaard.

By: express.co.uk

Apr 28 2024
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Tottenham forced to abandon deal to sign 'next Martin Odegaard' with a goal every 50 mins — Tottenham forced to abandon de

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Arda Guler

Tottenham have been linked with Real Madrid talent Arda Guler (Image: Getty)

Tottenham have been forced to abandon plans to sign Arda Guler in the summer with the midfielder now set to stay at Real Madrid. Spurs had been linked with an ambitious bid for the highly-rated Turkish youngster but will now shelve any attempts to complete a move.

Guler joined Real from Fenerbahce last summer but has endured a stop-start campaign. An injury suffered in pre-season saw him miss the first few months of 2023-24.

By the time the 19-year-old returned to action, the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo had made the attacking positions their own. Guler has struggled for regular minutes and was linked with a summer exit, either on loan or in a permanent agreement.

Carlo Ancelotti has afforded Guler just 99 minutes of football across six La Liga appearances. But those fleeting cameos have resulted in two goals, including the only strike in Real’s 1-0 win over Real Sociedad on Friday.

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Arda Guler

Arda Guler has struggled for game time at Real Madrid but will remain in the Spanish capital (Image: Getty)

Ancelotti has ruled out an exit for the player, saying after the game: “Arda is going to be a very important player for us in the future, and there is no doubt that he will stay here next year. He could have played earlier because he’s training so well.

“He is very young, and little by little he will learn what his role is in this team. He has scored more goals than he has played. That’s the gift he has.”

Guler’s rise to prominence has been compared with the career of Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian joined Real to much fanfare as a highly-rated teenager, but struggled for game time in a team full of world-class players.

Odegaard has gone on to enjoy a hugely successful career and could still lead Arsenal to a first Premier League title in 20 years. A victory over Spurs on Sunday would keep the Gunners in the hunt for the trophy.

Arsenal visit Spurs in the final North London Derby of the campaign. Ange Postecoglou’s side will have an extra incentive to win as that scenario would severely damage Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League this season.

The Gunners lead the top-flight by a point, sitting on 77, but Manchester City have a game in hand. Liverpool are all but out of the race after drawing 2-2 with West Ham on Saturday.