Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of 18-year-old Turkish wonderkid Arda Guler from Fenerbahce.
The 2005-born midfielder has signed a six-year contract with Carlo Ancelotti's side until the summer of 2029 and has become Los Blancos' third signing of the summer window.
Guler follows Jude Bellingham and Joselu to the Santiago Bernabeu, and Real Madrid have paid an upfront fee of €20m (£17.1m) for the Turkey international's services.
The total fee could rise to as much as €30m (£25.7m) with performance-related add-ons, and Fenerbahce have also negotiated a 20% sell-on clause.
Real have confirmed that Guler will be unveiled at Real Madrid City on Friday lunchtime, after which he will hold his first press conference as a Blancos player.
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Guler touches down in the Spanish capital not long after Barcelona were tipped to beat Real Madrid to the 18-year-old's signing after sporting director Deco spoke with his entourage.
However, Real Madrid moved quickly to agree a fee with Fenerbahce after seeing their first bid turned down, and Guler departs the Turkish giants after a productive four-year stint.
The teenager previously represented Genclerbirligi SK at youth level before moving to Fenerbahce in 2019, and he amassed nine goals and 12 assists in 51 matches for the club.
Guler made his debut for Fenerbahce as a 16-year-old in 2021, and he quickly became a key player for the club, contributing six goals and seven assists from 35 games last term.
Guler operated as a right winger, number 10, left winger, central midfielder and second striker for Fenerbahce last season, and he leaves with one Turkish Cup title from the 2022-23 season.
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The 18-year-old has already made four appearances for the Turkish national team, scoring his first goal in a Euro 2024 qualifying victory over Wales last month.
Guler bolsters a Blancos midfield already boasting Bellingham, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Dani Ceballos, the latter of whom recently signed a new long-term contract.
Guler's versatility could also come in handy in the final third, where Real have lost Karim Benzema, Mariano Diaz, Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio, who was confirmed as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Thursday.
Real Madrid have also been tipped to finally secure the signing of long-term target Kylian Mbappe this summer, as the Frenchman is refusing to extend his PSG contract beyond 2024.
However, with the French champions still said to be after at least €200m (£171.1m) to sell this summer, Los Blancos will likely wait until next year before attempting to sign him on a free transfer.
Ben Knapton
