Arsenal's interest in signing Real Madrid's Arda Guler has effectively ended after the Turkish midfielder agreed a new long-term contract with the Spanish club. The Gunners, along with Manchester City, held discussions with the player's representatives during the summer transfer window about a potential move to England. Other Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, are also understood to have made contact with his camp.
Arsenal were in the market for elite attacking reinforcements and outlined their plans for Guler while attempting to tempt him away from the Bernabeu. There was some hope that his standing might become less secure under new head coach Jose Mourinho, but those hopes have now been extinguished. Real Madrid's hierarchy, with president Florentino Perez a major admirer of the player, gave Guler assurances he remained central to their long-term plans.
Mourinho has also made his admiration clear, handing the 21-year-old regular minutes and a growing role. Guler delivered two assists in Madrid's comeback win over AS Roma, underlining his value. The club informed interested parties during the summer that they intended to extend his contract, with negotiations close to an agreement. "Guler's future is now effectively settled after he agreed a two-year contract extension," a statement confirmed. The deal extends his previous agreement and includes a salary increase.
With the Guler pursuit closed, Arsenal's focus remains on their current squad. The team sits second in the Premier League with 15 points from six games, three points behind leaders Manchester City. They are on a two-game winning run following a victory over Lille and a win against Leeds. Mikel Arteta will now look to internal solutions and the existing squad to maintain their title challenge, starting with their next fixture away to Nottingham Forest this weekend.
More detail at Yahoo Sports
