Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid crashed out of the FIFA Club World Cup in embarrassing fashion at the hands of Luis Enriques Paris Saint-Germain.
The 4-0 thrashing by current Champions League winner PSG showed that Los Blancos have a long way to go to regain their status as one of Europe’s elite clubs.
Alonso himself has a challenging task at hand, taking a Real Madrid squad that didn’t have a set tactical identity under Carlo Ancelotti and turning them into what his Bayer Leverkusen teams were.
One player at Die Werkself who transformed Alonsos system and allowed it to flourish was Florian Wirtz — a do-everything number 10 who could roam and play any position on the pitch but also lead and supply the attack himself.
Liverpool snatched up Florian Wirtz this summer for a record £116 million fee.
While Xabi Alonso would have loved to have Wirtz follow him to Real Madrid to join ex-Liverpoolian Trent Alexander-Arnold, he may already have his version of Florian Wirtz in the squad with Arda Güler.
While the young Turkish attacking midfielder was not a regular starter under Ancelotti, throughout the Club World Cup, he has proven his value to the squad and Alonso himself.
This player analysis and scout report will analyse Arda Güler style of play, his skill set, and potential role in Xabi Alonso tactics at Real Madrid in 2025/2026 La Liga season and beyond.
We will also examine how similar Arda Gülers profile is to Florian Wirtz and, more importantly, how Xabi Alonso may use Güler in a similar role to how he used Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen.
Xabi Alonso Use Of Florian Wirtz
At Bayer Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso primarily used Florian Wirtz as a left-sided attacking midfielder.
As you can see from Florian Wirtz heat map, that is where he operated and did most of his damage.
Wirtz operated in between the lines to find space and create opportunities for his teammates.
He’s fantastic with both feet and can make incredible passes to carve open defences.
He can send in
