Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has backed Chelsea to shore up their defensive options by signing Leicester City centre-back Caglar Soyuncu.
Speaking to Ladbrokes, as reported by Express, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged Chelsea to reinforce their defensive options by signing a new centre-back. Leicester City’s Caglar Soyuncu is, in fact, one of the two players that have been suggested by the club’s former striker.
“A lot of people are talking about Kalidou Koulibaly but he’s 29 years old and would be very expensive. I actually quite like the Leicester defender, Caglar Soyuncu. I think he’d be very good at Chelsea,” Hasselbaink told Ladbrokes.
Another player suggested by the 48-year-old was Milan Skriniar of Inter Milan, who is reportedly courted by Liverpool as they look to shore up their defensive options following an injury crisis this season.
While Chelsea may not have been so unfortunate to have their main defensive players out injured, the Blues do lack reliable alternatives for first-team stars like Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma.
Both the players have played well this season, providing solidity to the Chelsea backline following a tentative start to the campaign. However, Frank Lampard’s other options include Antonio Rudiger, Fikayo Tomori and Andreas Christensen while Silva, at the age of 36, cannot be considered as a long-term option.
Rudiger, meanwhile, has been linked with a shock move to Barcelona, who are among numerous clubs also hoping to reinforce their defensive unit in what has been a hectic campaign. It does, therefore, accentuate Chelsea’s need for a new centre-back as they look to provide not only additional competition in defence but also find a long-term replacement for Silva.
Soyuncu, in that regard, does look like a qualified option, having had immense success at Leicester City under the leadership of Brendan Rodgers. The Turkish international has impressed the onlookers with his discipline, which could be useful for a Chelsea, who often remain overreliant on their attacking prowess.
In addition, Soyuncu has gained a lot of experience at the highest level of football, thanks to his club’s appearances in Europe. It should make things easier for him to settle into life at Stamford Bridge.
It is also fair to point out that Leicester City could now finally be convinced to offload their defensive asset in January, following the remarkable rise of new signing Wesley Fofana. The youngster has settled in really well after joining the club in the summer and has already built a strong partnership alongside the experienced Jonny Evans.
Fofana’s success could tempt the Foxes to cash in on Soyuncu, though Chelsea may have to arrange a fortune to acquire the services of the former Stuttgart ace.
