Mourinho praises ‘incredible’ Guler amid battle for minutes

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho lauded playmaker Arda Guler on Monday as the team prepared to face Elche in La Liga. The Turkish midfielder, who signed in 2023, came on as a substitute in Madrid's 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano and helped stabilize the team when they were under pressure.

Guler is vying for playing time with record signing Yan Diomande and Brahim Diaz, among others, ahead of the central midfield duo. Mourinho, asked about Guler's development, acknowledged that others, who have been with the club since his arrival, could speak to his progress. However, Mourinho emphasized Guler's quality of play, highlighting his vision, decision-making, playmaking, stability, and creativity.

The Portuguese coach jokingly noted he wouldn't go so far as to call Guler one of the "top, top, top" three players, but confirmed he would describe him as "top, top." Mourinho also praised the link between Guler and forward Kylian Mbappe, who frequently combined well on the pitch, contributing to Madrid's fourth goal against Rayo.

While the Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior has scored one goal this season, Mourinho expressed that his best form is when he is scoring goals. Mourinho reiterated that Vinicius is still not at his best, but acknowledged his commitment, solidarity, and teamwork. The coach stated that there is another Vinicius, the version who scored goals in the Champions League last season, but the current Vinicius is lacking that top-level performance in recent matches. Despite this, Mourinho expressed his satisfaction with Vinicius.