According to a report by Madrid Universal on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Jose Mourinho is preparing to give Arda Guler more opportunities in Real Madrid’s double-pivot midfield system after being encouraged by the youngster’s recent performances.

The manager reportedly believes the 21-year-old Turkey international could bring greater composure to Madrid’s possession, improve their passing and provide a better balance in midfield.

Guler is increasingly being considered as a potential partner for Aurelien Tchouameni in the middle of the pitch. Introducing the attacking midfielder in this position could lead to changes in Mourinho’s preferred starting lineup as he searches for a combination capable of controlling games more effectively.

Mourinho is convinced that Guler possesses the technical ability to influence matches from a deeper midfield position. His vision, passing accuracy and capacity to deliver defence-splitting through balls could provide Madrid’s forwards with additional opportunities to threaten their opponents.

Compared with a midfield that prioritises physicality and defensive discipline, Guler offers a different dimension through his creativity and ability to link the defensive and attacking units. These qualities could be especially important when Madrid face teams that defend compactly and leave little room for their attackers to operate.

Initially, Mourinho preferred to use Tchouameni alongside Federico Valverde in central midfield. However, the team’s display against Villarreal after the international break appears to have encouraged him to reconsider his tactical options.

Guler’s performance against Sevilla further strengthened his claim for a regular role. Reports indicate that Mourinho was particularly impressed by the way the Turkish international exchanged positions with Jude Bellingham, helping Madrid develop more unpredictable attacking patterns.

Despite Guler’s growing influence, Mourinho still faces the difficult task of including him without reducing the importance of Valverde and Tchouameni. One solution would be to keep Valverde at right-back, but that could force Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold to miss out on starting places.

Alternatively, Valverde could be moved to the right wing, allowing Guler to take up a central midfield position. Such a setup would give the Turkish international the freedom to distribute the ball from deeper areas while allowing Valverde to contribute in a more advanced role.

A third option would see Guler form a midfield partnership with Valverde, with Tchouameni potentially relegated to the substitutes’ bench. Although this approach could improve Madrid’s movement, creativity and ability to progress the ball, it might leave the team with less defensive security in midfield.

Mourinho’s decision to experiment with Guler against Sevilla demonstrated the midfielder’s potential to thrive in the position. However, the Real Madrid manager must carefully assess his options to ensure that Guler’s creativity does not come at the expense of the defensive balance and stability needed in the middle of the pitch.