Arsenal are scouting a Real Madrid attacking midfielder, with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also taking a shine to the star, according to a report, but there is absolutely no chance whatsoever that Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta and manager Mikel Arteta will be able to convince him to leave the Santiago Bernabeu anytime soon.
The Gunners were very active in the summer transfer window, making as many as eight major new additions to their squad to enhance the quality and win the Premier League title this season. Among the players that Arsenal signed was Eberechi Eze, who can play as a left-winger but is at his best as a central attacking midfielder.
However, Eze was not always Arsenal’s first-choice target when the Gunners were looking for a playmaker.
Trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this month that Arsenal had an eye on Arda Guler of Real Madrid last season.
Romano said on his YouTube channel: “There was a club around October/November 2024 that was prepared to attack in case Carlo Ancelotti stayed for this season and in case Real Madrid opened the doors to an exit for Arda Guler.
“Something they never did, let’s be clear, and also Arda never did. But there was a club planning to attack before Xabi Alonso arrived and closed every single door.
“That club was Arsenal. Arsenal considered the possibility around October/November before Andrea Berta was appointed as the new director.”
According to CaughtOffSide, Arsenal are still interested in Guler, with the Gunners ‘closely monitoring’ the Turkey international attacking midfielder’s performances this season.
Scouts from Arsenal, as well as from Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, have all been at LaLiga games this season to watch Guler in action.
Guler has been one of Real Madrid’s best players this season, scoring three goals and giving three assists in six starts and one substitute appearance in LaLiga.
Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has made the 20-year-old a regular in his starting line-up, with the youngster also featuring in the Champions League this season and making six appearances at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the summer, where he scored one goal and gave two assists.
Real Madrid say Arda Guler ‘not for sale’
According to CaughtOffside, Real Madrid are adamant that Guler is ‘not for sale’, with the playmaker himself ‘fully committed’ to making the most of the chances he is getting under Alonso.
While it remains to be seen if Guler is able to maintain his current high levels in the coming weeks and months, given that he is only 20 and has a high ceiling, it is extremely likely that Madrid will sell him.
CaughtOffSide has claimed that ‘no price tag has been set’ on Guler because Madrid do not want to sell him.
On September 18, Defensa Central, a Real Madrid-centric news outlet, reported that Premier League clubs are willing to pay €150m (£130m, £177m) for Guler in the summer of 2026, adding that Madrid have no plans to sell him.
In football, never say never, but it is extremely unlikely to see Madrid selling Guler to Arsenal, or any other club for that matter.
Guler is just starting to show his quality for Madrid after fully recovering from his injury problems and establishing himself in the first team, and leaving Los Blancos anytime soon is certainly not in his plans.
Latest Arsenal news: Juventus raid, shock Gunners exit
While Arsenal are very unlikely to get Arda Guler anytime soon, the Gunners are already in touch to sign another young gem.
Arsenal have opened talks to sign a Juventus sensation, who, incidentally, is a team-mate of Guler for Turkey.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are keeping tabs on signing an Arsenal winger they explored a deal for in the summer transfer window.
The defending Bundesliga champions eventually signed Luis Diaz from Liverpool, but they remain interested in the Arsenal ace.
Finally, Cesc Fabregas is keen on signing an Arsenal player who joined the Gunners only in the summer of 2025.
Fabregas played with the Arsenal star at Chelsea, and the former Gunners midfielder is keen on managing him at his current club Como.