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When Leicester City signed Caglar Soyuncu from Freiburg the summer before last in a deal worth up to £19m barely a ripple was made. The 22-year-old was joining a club whose principle centre-backs were Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire and not many people expected the Turkish international to break that partnership up. This duly came to pass with Soyuncu making only six league appearances last term with a couple of EFL Cup games thrown in.
When Leicester City sold Harry Maguire in early August for a world record fee for a defender an awful lot of ripples were made, but returning to Soyuncu he was now even more off the grid. All the attention beyond the Maguire sale centred on who the Foxes would be bringing in to replace him with Burnley’s James Tarkowski mentioned many times in dispatches along with Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake.
Just one month into the new campaign and they’re talking about Soyuncu a lot now. And so far the reviews have been spectacular.
It all began on the opening day of the season when the floppy-fringed giant put in a formidable performance against Wolves at the King Power Stadium. So impressive was the display he reportedly received a standing ovation from his team-mates post-match and highly deserved it was too. Soyuncu made the second most successful passes and tackles of any Premier League defender that weekend as his unerring reading of danger and whole commitment kept the visitors almost single-handedly at bay at times.
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This commanding introduction was followed up by a further three imperious outings – that included a stoic draw at Stamford Bridge – but it is not merely the elite levels shown thus far that is rapidly making him one of the talking points of this Premier League year. With his aforementioned locks and muscular style that could be termed ‘swashbuckling’ if we’re feeling a touch whimsical, Soyuncu has already gained a cult status in the Midlands, so much so that Maguire’s name is a distant memory.
“You sense the supporters are really enjoying watching him play,” Brendan Rodgers said recently, of a role not traditionally regarded as entertaining. “He does a couple of wee maverick things that make you wonder sometimes.”
The defender’s unanticipated rise has also brought into the public domain an interesting insight into his transfer back in 2018 and the reasons behind it. In addition to being naturally attracted to an accomplished centre-back yet to hit his development ceiling the thinking at Leicester was that Soyuncu would prove an able replacement should Maguire depart for Old Trafford. To clarify: this was a decision taken in 2018, well over twelve months ago.
Check out the fan in the video below who thinks he could beat Joey Barton in a fight…
Following a season of adaptation to the demands and pace of English football the Foxes’ long-term thinking looks to now be paying off handsomely and all while saving themselves a fortune in the transfer market.
It is still too premature to be making any heightened claims about a player who is still learning and from that learning will come mistakes. But in ‘super’ Soyuncu there is enough pace, composure and bravery to take risks to know that Leicester’s future looks rock solid at the back.