Freiburg wonder-kid Caglar Soyuncu has seen a meteoric rise from playing in the Turkish second division to one of the hottest young defenders in the Bundesliga within a single season and attracting interest from Manchester United.
Turkish-football.com recently reported that United have been keeping tabs on the young defender and that he has a soft spot for the Red Devils head coach Jose Mourinho.
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 United if the Premier League giants end up signing the 20-year-old at the end of the season.
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Modern Defender
The modern defender is expected to be adept at bringing the ball out of defence, have decent technical ability and pass accurately – in addition to covering the basics such as tackling, making interceptions and positioning.
Soyuncu started as a striker at youth level where he developed an understanding for playing in the final third. The young defender is surprisingly nifty on his feet and skilful for a player of his size and position.
The 20-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 78 percent this season.
There is no denying Soyuncu’s potential and in the right hands he could be crafted into a top class defender.
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Admires Jose Mourinho
There have been rumblings of discontent among some players in the United squad. Mourinho openly stated that any player that is unhappy can leave for the right price.
“I am always open to listen to offers for every player,” Mourinho was quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News.
“But, more than listen to offers, I am always ready to listen to the players themselves. So any player who knocks on my door and is not happy and wants to move, when the offers are correct, I will never stop a player from leaving even if it is to a rival.”
Mourinho was linked with defensive reinforcements over the winter transfer window with Jose Fonte and Rudigar reportedly on his list.
Perhaps the arrival of Soyuncu could kill two birds with one stone, bringing in unwavering loyalty and a boost to the defence.
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Youth
Soyuncu still has years to develop and perfect his craft. The Turkish international is just 20-years-old but he has the composure and leadership skills of an experienced centre-back. The Freiburg wonder-kid has already proven that he is capable of making the step up. Soyuncu made a smooth transition from Turkish second division football to the Bundesliga. Despite his age the young centre-back is already at a level where he can play first-team football at one of the most competitive leagues in Europe and also has two senior international caps for Turkey.
