Freiburg wonder-kid Caglar Soyuncu has enjoyed a meteoric rise going from the Turkish second tier to establishing himself as one of the hottest young defenders in the Bundesliga.
Arsenal became the latest side to express an interest in the rising star.
It all started when Altinordu president, Mehmet Ozkan claimed his former academy player Soyuncu would join Arsenal.
“Caglar Soyuncu is set to join Arsenal,” he was quoted as saying by Turkish-Football at International Football Economic Forum held at The Grand Tarabya Hotel in Istanbul.
“Of course we would make a cut from the transfer if he joins Arsenal.
“Arsenal asked us for data on his time at the club, we have put something together for them which will be handed over.”
See More: For all Caglar Soyuncu news and everything else you wanted to know about the Turkish football star
We take a look at three reasons Soyuncu could end up being a success at the Emirates if he were to join the North London based outfit.
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The Modern Defender
The Gunners weakest link has undoubtedly been their defence. The North London based outfit conceded more goals (51) than any other side in the top-six. What is clear is that Mustafi and Koscielny are not all that impressive on the ball. They are not exactly the best ball playing defenders. To be fair they have struggled with basic defensive duties as well this campaign.
The 21-year-old went from playing second-tier football at Altinordu to breaking into the first team at a Bundesliga side and establishing himself as a regular in the starting lineup. Soyuncu is a fearless leader, great in the air, strong in the tackle and has excellent positioning. He does however, have to work on his concentration and improve his passing accuracy which stands at 81 percent this season.
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German Connection
The German connection is strong at Arsenal. From head of recruitment Sven Mislintat to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Saed Kolasinac and of course Mesut Ozil there is a strong Bundesliga link. Soyuncu speaks German and English. Being of Turkish origin, Ozil could help the settling in process.
The rising star has averaged 1.5 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per-game. The 1.85m tall defender is strong in the air winning 2.2 aerial duals and 3.4 clearances per-match.
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Potential
Soyuncu has great foundations. The young defender rose through the youth ranks of the highly rated Altinordu academy who also developed Roma starlet Cengiz Under. The youngster still has years to develop and perfect his craft. Soyuncu made a smooth transition from Turkish second division football to the Bundesliga. Despite his age the young defender is already a top defender in Germany and a regular call-up to the Turkish national side.
