Xabi Alonso wants to bring Real Madrid playmaker Arda Guler to Chelsea this summer, and the chances of him doing so have been revealed.
Excitement is building ahead of Alonso's arrival at Stamford Bridge on July 1, and work is already underway to assemble a team capable of challenging for the Champions League spots, or perhaps even the Premier League.
Chelsea are in dire need of attacking quality, and the Blues have already been linked with a £100 million move for Morgan Rogers to play as a left-sided number 10 in the Spaniard's 3-4-2-1 system.
Rogers recently fired Villa to Europa League glory against Freiburg, ending their 30-year major trophy drought, and the 23-year-old is joined on their list by another special talent.
Arda Guler is Xabi Alonso's 'dream' Chelsea signing
According to El Nacional, Alonso has earmarked Guler as his "dream" signing in West London after working with the 21-year-old for seven months at Los Blancos.
But even though Real Madrid are pushing to sign Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea, they're unwilling to sanction a potential swap deal for the Argentine, considering Guler as an "untouchable piece" of their future at the Bernabeu.
Guler is one of Europe's best attacking midfielders, establishing himself as a key part of Real's plans, firstly impressing under Alonso and under Alvaro Arbeloa since January.
The Turkish international produced 20 goal involvements in 51 appearances across all competitions this term, including two wonder strikes in the Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
Capable of playing on the wing or as a central attacking midfielder, Guler would slot perfectly into Alonso's formation at Chelsea, but he is more likely to be working under Jose Mourinho next season.
What Alonso has said about Guler
Alonso was only at Real Madrid for a short period, but Guler's performances left a long-lasting impression on the Spanish tactician.
Speaking ahead of their Champions League clash against Juventus in October, Alonso made a striking comparison that perfectly reflects the youngster's talent.
"With his quality, he’s a mix between Özil and Guti. Guti had that vision and finesse to link play or operate closer to goal, and with Mesut I enjoyed football so much. Arda has that something special — that natural talent you can’t teach,” Alonso said with a smile."
Guler is an incredibly gifted talent, and it speaks volumes that he made more appearances than any of his teammates under Alonso at Real, scoring four and assisting 10 in 34 matches.
Therefore, it is easy to understand why the 44-year-old wants to bring the Turkish prodigy to Stamford Bridge.
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