{
  "id": 7262734,
  "title": "Stats: 21-year-old playmaker is becoming the creative heartbeat of Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/stats-21-year-old-playmaker-is-becoming-the-creative-heartbeat-of",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-14T06:50:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/stats-21-old-playmaker-becoming-065000356.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The 21-year-old Turkish playmaker Arda Guler is rapidly becoming the creative driving force behind Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid. Since the start of the 2026-27 season, Real Madrid have won five out of their six matches, and Guler is increasingly difficult for Mourinho to imagine playing without him in his strongest XI. Guler's impact on the team is not limited to spectacular goals or decisive passes, but rather his consistent ability to change the way Madrid attacks.\n\nGuler's unique skill set includes seeing openings early, playing between the lines, and executing precise passes that others cannot. This has become crucial for Real Madrid, as they have a plethora of attacking talent including Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham, who excel at scoring goals. However, finding a reliable supply chain to maintain the attacking rhythm against organized opponents has been a challenge.\n\nGuler has already created 24 chances while averaging an impressive 9.5 chances created per 90 minutes. This remarkable level of creativity, despite having inconsistent minutes, demonstrates his significant impact on the team. His best work often comes from receiving the ball in tight areas, turning quickly, and immediately spotting the next move.\n\nMourinho faces the challenge of deciding Guler's role, especially with the recent addition of Yan Diomande for a significant fee. Silva offers experience and control, while Bellingham is a versatile player. Given Guler's 9.5 chances created per 90 minutes, he must be given substantial playing time. While it is expected that his frequency of creating chances may decrease, his influence on the team has been undeniable.\n\nThe most exciting aspect of Guler's development is his potential to unlock the rest of Madrid's attack, particularly his telepathic relationship with Kylian Mbappe. While it is unlikely that he will maintain this level of chance creation indefinitely, his impact in Mourinho's early days cannot be overlooked. If Guler continues at this rate, it will be challenging for Diomande to break into the starting XI in the foreseeable future.",
  "summary": "Real Madrid have started the 2026-27 season quite well under Jose Mourinho, winning five of their six games so far.Jose Mourinho is slowly settling on his preferred XI, and Arda Guler is making it inc...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}