Real Madrid have traditionally approached the summer transfer window with the idea that they want to sign the biggest superstar in world football, unless if there is nobody who qualifies as a big superstar, they are currently working to sign that superstar in a later window, or they have no space in their squad to even feasibly accommodate another top player.
In 2019, Real Madrid signed Eden Hazard from Chelsea. In 2020, they didn’t sign anyone because of the pandemic. In 2021, they thought they had Kylian Mbappe signed. In 2022, they also thought they had Kylian Mbappe signed. In 2023, they signed Jude Bellingham knowing they wouldn’t be able to sign Kylian Mbappe that summer. And in 2024, they finally signed Kylian Mbappe.
Even though Florentino Perez just snagged his “white whale” and added him to an attack that already includes Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, Arda Guler, and Brahim Diaz, that hasn’t stopped the transfer rumor mill from finding new top players to link to the Merengues.
Right now, Bundesliga attacking midfielders Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala are two of the hottest topics in world football and are set to join Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr., Guler, Mbappe, and others in defining the next era of world football.
Therefore, it would make sense for Real Madrid, in their pursuit of signing the best footballers in the world, to at least have a cursory interest in the two best playmakers on the planet heading into 2025.
Musiala may be less likely to be available, but if Bayern Munich struggle in the Vincent Kompany and Max Eberl era and keep losing stars, he could potentially ask for a transfer.
That may seem inconceivable, but, then again, how many predicted Toni Kroos’ exit from Bayern to Real Madrid a year before it happened? Or how about Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona?
If Musiala watches Bayern throw away another Bundesliga title and then sees the likes of Alphonso Davies and Joshua Kimmich out the exit door, perhaps the 21-year-old would consider a bid from a superclub like Manchester City or Real Madrid.
But more likely would be a Wirtz transfer. He is so vital to Bayer Leverkusen and is coming off an MVP-caliber season for the undefeated Bundesliga champions. However, Leverkusen aren’t a traditional power in European football and can’t keep Wirtz forever.
The three biggest clubs in European football historically have all been linked to Wirtz, and chances are that the other great 21-year-old German playmaker will only want to join Barcelona, Bayern Munich, or Real Madrid.
On paper, it would be tempting to add a Musiala or Wirtz to Real Madrid. Both players are sure-fire, 10-goal, 10-assist players already at 21 and have been instrumental in title-winning seasons.
They are intelligent, skillful, and capable of producing end product with consistency that goes beyond most U23 players. There is a sophistication and elegance to each of their games, which suits how Real Madrid want to play – and, in all honesty, Real could use a little bit more of that after Toni Kroos’ retirement and with Luka Modric set to leave any year now.
The problem is that either Musiala or Wirtz would be an investment of at least 100 million euros. Real Madrid paid around that price for Jude Bellingham, but he is their only nine-figure transfer since the Eden Hazard flop.
Real Madrid generally like to avoid paying that much money on players, and while Wirtz and Musiala don’t have the injury baggage or age concerns that Hazard quietly came with, the larger point is that Perez is getting even more selective with his money.
Leny Yoro and Alphonso Davies aren’t Galactic, but, essentially, Florentino only wanted to sign two great young players at key positions of need on free (or close to free) transfer rather than spend anywhere near market value this past summer.
So even though Wirtz and Musiala are worth 130 million euros each on Transfermarkt, Real Madrid aren’t going to be willing to spend “market value” on these two, even if, say, Manchester City or Bayern Munich would be.
There is a bigger reason why any Real Madrid fan getting excited about Wirtz or Musiala transfer rumors needs to take a step back and not get their hopes up, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of either player – or even the cost of a transfer, which would still get done if Florentino REALLY wants it to happen.
That reason is Arda Guler. Real Madrid have an attacking midfield gem of their own, and even though everyone has their own opinion about who is better, Real Madrid should feel that Guler is better than Musiala or Wirtz.
And that’s because he is their player. You always have to back your players. Real Madrid do. Think about it. When Real Madrid were dropping the league title in 2020/21 and failing to really make ground in the Champions League, there were fans calling Vinicius Jr. a flop and decrying Rodrygo Goes as a passive, backup-level winger.
Instead of acquiescing to the demands of impatient fans, Florentino very publicly stuck his neck out for Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo. Both were significant signings, but, combined, they didn’t even cost 100 million euros.
Now, Rodrygo and Vinicius have two Champions League titles under their belts as VERY important contributors to both causes and are among the best players in the world at any position. Their market values are both well over 100 million euros.
In a way, Guler may actually have more potential than his Brazilian teammates on the wing. That’s because from an efficiency perspective, Guler was on a different level to anyone else in European football last season.
Playing a mere 377 minutes in LaLiga last season as Real Madrid eased their teenage playmaker into things, Guler scored 6 goals for an average of 1.43 goals per 90 minutes as a non-striker.
That’s a ridiculous return, and by shining for Turkey at Euro 2024 on the international stage, the 19-year-old showed that his work in LaLiga wasn’t a fluke and something he can build on in 2024/25.
Musiala is versatile enough to play on the wing when needed or even as an 8, and Wirtz can, in theory, play other midfield positions, too. But as a left-footed wizard with more explosiveness and ball-winning, Guler is seen by Real Madrid as someone versatile enough to play literally anywhere in the attack or midfield.
If Real Madrid truly feel that way about a 19-year-old playmaker who cost them just 20 million euros, then why undermine his development by spending five times that amount on a player two years older?
Real Madrid have confidence in Guler. His overall numbers and experience aren’t anywhere near Musiala and Wirtz, but because he is younger and even more talented in his intelligence and technique, there is every reason for the Royal Whits to believe that Guler can be significantly better than those players.
Patience is the name of the game. Real Madrid are willing to splash on superstars like Bellingham and Mbappe, but they are also prudent enough to set their limits, even with Juni Calafat’s dream targets like Leny Yoro.
And therefore, they will do the same with Wirtz and Musiala. Unless a market opportunity arrives that is impossible to decline, which is never going to happen with these two “cracks” from top German clubs, then maybe I will rethink my stance here.
Even then, it still might not be worth it if that means sacrificing a full integration of Guler into the starting lineup, which is already difficult enough to break into with four legitimate Ballon d’Or-level players in Rodrygo, Bellingham, Mbappe, and Vini Jr. occupying starting spots.
Guler, though, has the talent and the flashes of end product to be a Ballon d’Or-caliber player, too. Just as Wirtz and Musiala are. But the defining difference is that Guler is already a Real Madrid talent and a big part of their future plans. You just don’t throw that away for the next best thing you see.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.