Barcelona and Manchester City have joined Real Madrid in the race to sign Leicester City’s Turkish centre-half Caglar Soyuncu in the summer transfer window.
According to a report from Turkish publication Posta, Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu is set to become a subject of a three-way transfer tussle between La Liga giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Premier League champions Manchester City.
Soyuncu has been with Leicester City for three years now, having signed from Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2018. After a slow start to life at the King Power Stadium, the 25-year-old has become a mainstay at the back for the Foxes since the departure of Harry Maguire to Manchester United two years ago.
During his time with the club, Soyuncu has racked up 82 appearances, scoring two goals and setting up one more, and played a hand in their first-ever FA Cup triumph in the 2020/21 season. And, his rise at the King Power Stadium has now led to serious interest from three top clubs in Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City.
Real Madrid’s interest in Soyuncu is pretty much understandable as they prepare for life without club legend Sergio Ramos and potentially Raphael Varane. Indeed, the former has left the club upon the expiry of his contract at the end of June, whereas the latter is said to be closing in on a transfer to Manchester United, which would leave a gaping hole in the Merengues’ backline.
So, even though Real Madrid have already signed David Alaba on a free transfer, it makes sense for Los Blancos to secure another centre-back before the season starts, making Soyuncu a viable target. However, they will now need to stave off interest from their arch-rivals, Barcelona, in the Turkish international.
Barcelona are in the middle of a major rejig under new president Joan Laporta, with defence being an area where improvements are being sought. Eric Garcia has already arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and is being touted as the long-term replacement for Gerard Pique. But with both Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet staring at uncertain futures at Camp Nou, another central defender becomes a necessity.
A move for Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte has been mooted, but Soyuncu too has now emerged as a transfer target for the Catalans. But, the report does add that the Premier League champions could leave behind Barcelona and Real Madrid in the race to sign the 25-year-old from Leicester City.
While it would appear that Manchester City are well-stocked in defence with Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Laporte, the latter, as mentioned earlier, is being linked with a move to Barcelona, while Garcia has also left the club. There have also been question marks over Ake’s future considering his reduced involvement in the last season, which would explain the Cityzens’ interest in Soyuncu.
And, with Barcelona and Real Madrid crippled by financial problems, it could leave the field clear for Pep Guardiola & co. to swoop the Leicester City star away, as per the report. Soyuncu still has two years left on his contract, and the Foxes are likely to demand a hefty fee if they do consider selling him, that is. It remains to be seen who among the three super clubs comes out on top.
