Liverpool are reportedly set to go up against rivals Arsenal in the race to sign SC Freiburg centre-back Caglar Soyuncu.
Liverpool have made an enquiry about the availability of SC Freiburg’s Turkish defender Caglar Soyuncu, as per reports from Turkish-Football. The 22-year old is also a target for fellow Premier League outfit Arsenal.
Liverpool have been extremely active in the transfer market, having already clinched the signing of Brazilian midfielder Fabinho from AS Monaco, to add to the arrival of Naby Keita, a deal for whom was agreed in the last summer window itself. The Reds are also understood to have agreed a transfer fee of £53 million with French club Olympique Lyon for the signing of star attacker Nabil Fekir.
It looks like after faltering at the final hurdle in their pursuit of the UEFA Champions League manager Jurgen Klopp wants to leave no stone unturned as he looks to prepare a side capable of challenging for titles domestically and in Europe.
And now, he has turned his eyes towards the 22-year old Soyuncu to shore up his defensive ranks. Having joined Freiburg in 2016 from Turkish club Altinordu as somewhat of an unknown quantity, the Turkish centre-back has made a name for himself in the Bundesliga over the past couple of years and established himself as a mainstay at the back for his team.
In the 2017/18 campaign, Soyuncu appeared 30 times across all competitions for the German outfit, bagging a solitary goal in the process. A senior international for Turkey, he has made 16 appearances since making his debut back in March 2016.
Despite being just 22 years of age, the centre-half has displayed great maturity at the back, is a strong tackler, reads the game well and also has a good burst of pace that allows him to recover quickly and has been likened to Bayern Munich star Mats Hummels by the German media.
Liverpool spent a whopping £75 million on Virgil van Dijk in the January transfer window and are reaping great rewards for their investment on the Dutchman. However, Dejan Lovren hasn’t yet been convincing as is the case with Ragnar Klavan while Joel Matip spent a good chunk of the second half of the season out on the treatment tables.
So, it does makes sense that Klopp and Liverpool are looking to add a new defender to their squad in the summer. However, they will have to face stiff competition for Soyuncu’s signing from Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Arsenal too have been going about their business in the transfer market in a sprightly manner. Following the appointment of Unai Emery as the new manager, the Gunners have signed veteran full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner on a free transfer and are close to sealing the deal for Borussia Dortmund’s Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
However, with reports emerging that the North Londoners are also looking at versatile German defender Lukas Klostermann of RB Leipzig, it might leave the field open for Liverpool to sign Soyuncu. The 22-year old has a contract till the summer of 2022 with Freiburg and is valued at £35 million by the club.
